Maputo — - TANZANIAN COMPANY SPILLS FUEL IN BEIRA PORT Maputo, 15 Nov (AIM) - The Tanzanian oil and gas company Lake Oil has spilled 90 litres of fuel in the central Mozambican port of Beira, during transhipment, according to the National Environmental Quality Control Agency (AQUA).

The transhipment occurred during the pumping of an oil tanker docked at one of the port's quays. It is believed that the spill may have been caused when a valve in the fuel tank pipeline was not completely closed.

According to Wednesday's issue of the Maputo daily "Notícias', a commission of inquiry was set up to ascertain the real causes of this incident and assess possible risks to the environment.

Lake Oil has yet to comment on the case, but preliminary data suggests that it was caused by human error, specifically the distraction of workers during the pumping process.

The fuel in question, according to AQUA, did not spread, as it was promptly recovered thanks to the internal devices specially set up for this purpose, thus avoiding a major danger to the environment.

The Lake Group, which operates a fleet of more than 700 trucks, distributes and trades Petroleum products in Tanzania, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda. It owns its own oil storage facilities in Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and the DRC.