Oil Spills Plague Mexico's Aging Pipeline System - Reuters

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MEXICO CITY - "Mexican state oil monopoly Pemex on Thursday reported another oil spill, the latest in a long series from its old and corroded pipeline network, despite the company's vow to cut down on such accidents. Crude spilled from a pipeline running through farmland in the northern state of Tamaulipas on Wednesday, a Pemex spokesman said. He said the leak was due to corrosion.

Pemex Chief Executive Luis Ramirez said on the weekend that safety was the company's "number one priority" following a rash of environmental accidents in recent months, including an ammonia leak in Veracruz state in April that killed six people.

A local official said on Thursday he saw a column of oil some 15 metres (49 feet) high spurting out of a ruptured pipeline in Tamaulipas, spraying black gunk over nearby fields. There were no casualties. "It was as high as a tree. We estimate about 150,000 liters (950 barrels) of oil were spilled," Juan Flores, civil protection chief in the municipality of Altamira, told Reuters.

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The day before, a combined oil and gas pipeline exploded in the oil-rich southeastern state of Tabasco, polluting some six hectares (15 acres) of land, according to environmental watchdog Profepa. "It's almost getting to be a daily thing," a Profepa spokeswoman said."

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http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/30704/story.htm