Monitoring remains essential but the worst seems to have been avoided after the crude oil leak that occurred on Saturday evening at the TotalEnergies refinery in Donges (Loire-Atlantique). During an inspection visit carried out on Monday, no traces of fuel were observed on the banks and on the Loire apart from the floating dams, indicated the Loire-Atlantique prefecture.
“The maximum quantity of crude oil spilled during the accident is estimated at less than 15 m3,” the authorities said on Monday, adding that “no report of traces of pollution” had been reported at this stage.
A leak of 700,000 liters of gasoline in 2022
The origin of this crude oil leak came from piping on a wharf which had been replaced in 2021 and which had been subject to a leak test before being put into service. “The operator was asked to maintain visual surveillance and samples in the Loire,” underlined the prefecture.
Installed on nearly 350 hectares and employing 650 employees, the Donges refinery is the second largest of the TotalEnergies group in France after Gonfreville-l'Orcher in Normandy. It is capable of processing eleven million tonnes of crude oil per year and has a storage capacity of 2.2 million m3 (crude oil and finished products). In December 2022, a leak from this refinery, classified Seveso high threshold, caused the flow of 700,000 liters of gasoline.
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