In Rio das Ostras, theft in a Transpetro oil pipeline causes an oil leak

Most cases occur in Rio and SP, with thieves stealing Petrobras fuel to sell on a thriving black market.

In the early hours of this Sunday, September 22, in the rural area of ​​the municipality of Rio das Ostras, in Rio, a theft in the Osduc oil pipeline caused an oil leak. The criminal action took place near the BR-101, with no community nearby. A Petrobras has a loss of R$ 150 million every year with fuel theft

Operations in the pipeline were interrupted and the regulatory agencies were informed about the occurrence. There is still no confirmation of the amount of oil that was leaked.

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The company's emergency teams were immediately called in and are on site to ensure containment of the leaked oil and minimize the impacts of the incident.

In a note, Petrobras said that its subsidiary, transpetro (responsible for the pipelines), is “a victim of criminal actions involving theft of oil and oil products, who collaborates with the investigations of the authorities”

In continuation, the company says, that "the greatest concern is the safety of families, as criminal interventions in the pipelines can pose risks to the community, such as fires, explosions, leaks, pollution and contamination of environmentally sensitive areas."

Residents neighboring the installations can send questions and suggestions or report any suspicious movement in the range of pipelines or nearby land by calling the toll-free number 168, which is open 24 hours a day.

Among the suspicious movements are night activities on the lanes, a strong smell of fuel in the area and the presence of cars and people with hoses and other equipment.

Petrobras pipelines had a record 261 cases of theft in 2018

Petrobras reported an alarming data regarding its gas pipelines. In 5 years, the state-owned company saw cases of fuel theft in its pipelines go from 1 case to 261.

This 2018 record is a record, considering that in 2016 Petrobras recorded 72 cases. At the opening of Rio Pipeline 2019, Transpetro says it will invest BRL 1,2 billion in pipeline protection.