Leakage in the “discharge line” of the Ñico López refinery causes a strong smell of gasoline in Havana

A leak in the “pump discharge line” at the Ñico López refinery This Wednesday, it caused a strong smell of gasoline in areas of the Cuban capital.

A note from theCuba Petroleum Union (CUPET) reported the event and stated that “this situation was resolved with the elimination of the leak.”

This is not the first time that Havana residents have publicly expressed theirconcern about a strong gas smell that has manifested itself in several municipalities of the capital.

“Today, November 1, 2023, a strong smell of gasoline was perceived in the Regla and Plaza de la Revolución municipalities. In review of the possible causes, a leak was detected in the discharge line of the pump towards the Heavy Virgin Naphtha loading that was retained in the storm ditch that is located near the perimeter wall adjacent to Regla, this being the cause of the presence of these odors,” explained thestate company in theirsocial networks.

According to CUPET information, “the Ñico López Refinery has been refining stably since October 22 without having had the presence of strong odors in areas of the capital.”

At the beginning of September, Havana residents from Luyanó, Cerro, Marianao and other municipalities complained about a strong smell of gas in the capital, so intense that it caused many people to cough.

The next day,CUPET ruled out the existence of possible leaks and associated the smell of gas with the reopening of the Ñico López refinery, which had begun refining crude oil after a year without carrying out those operations.

"This operation of the refinery, together with the calm air that has existed in recent days (especially in the early morning hours), has caused the gases, a product of combustion in the torch, to generate odors. detected in some neighborhoods in Havana," CUPET stated on its social networks.

Hours later, and in the absence of complaints of gas smell from the population, the company belonging to the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) explained it asconsequence of the stoppage of plant 1 of the Ñico López refinery, after having completed the refining work.

At the end of September, the Ñico López resumed crude oil processing and CUPET announced on its social networks thatthe possibility that Havana residents could smell gas again in various areas of the city.

The entity specified that a working group was activated made up of specialists from the Ñico López refinery, the Manufactured Gas Company, the Petroleum Research Center, the Liquefied Gas Company and the Cuba-Petroleum Union, in charge of measuring the quality of the air in areas where gas odor is reported.