Lightning strike triggers gas vent stack blast at offshore Miri oil and gas facility

KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 — A vent stack pipe at an oil and gas facility off the waters of Miri was struck by lightning yesterday, hitting a gas line and triggering an explosion.

BuletinTV3 reported that a Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) spokesperson said emergency action was immediately taken to shut off valves in order to bring the situation under control and prevent further risk.

He said the incident did not result in any fire and the situation is now stable.

Information from the chief of security at Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) confirmed the incident and stated that all safety procedures were carried out according to established protocols.

Meanwhile, Miri district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said police had not yet received any official report on the incident.

“So far, there is no report, but we understand the incident occurred when lightning struck the gas release area at the platform. Such incidents are also understood to be not uncommon on offshore platforms,” he said when contacted.

However, police are tracking down the contractor company operating the platform to obtain further details.

A 26-second video of the offshore explosion went viral on social media yesterday afternoon.