Saeed Tavakoli, the Deputy Minister of Oil for Gas Affairs, announced the discovery of a hidden gas theft tunnel in a cryptocurrency mining unit located in Eshtehard County. This discovery was made after examining the gas consumption ratio with the industrial activities of this facility and indicates the existence of an illegal connection in the gas lines.
Identification of Illegal Connection
Tavakoli further stated: During a visit to this industrial facility, it became clear that the amount of gas consumption did not match the activities being carried out there. As a result, the expert team conducted a more detailed investigation, and in this context, about 362 cryptocurrency mining devices were identified at the site.
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After cutting off the incoming gas to the station, we realized that the internal section of the facility was still supplied with gas. This strengthened the possibility of a theft connection, and ultimately, this hypothesis was confirmed.
Discovery and Excavation Operations
The Deputy Minister of Oil for Gas Affairs continued: After necessary coordination and obtaining judicial permission, gas company teams along with security police began the investigation and excavation operations at the site. This operation continued until the early hours of the morning and led to the discovery of a deep channel beneath the gas station.
Investigations revealed that the owner of the facility had dug a tunnel from inside the factory to create an illegal connection on the 4-inch incoming line of the station. This connection was hidden in such a way that identifying it with conventional methods was very difficult.
Tavakoli added: Gas company experts, by carefully examining the pipe routes and consumption patterns, successfully identified the location of the theft connection. After discovering the route, the gas supply to the facility was cut off, and the station was sealed, with the violation case sent to the relevant authorities for legal proceedings.
Consequences and Risks
The Deputy Minister of Oil for Gas Affairs, referring to the capacity of this station being one thousand cubic meters, stated: Creating illegal connections not only leads to the waste of national resources and increased unauthorized consumption but also poses serious safety and life-threatening risks to employees, equipment, and gas supply facilities. This situation can increase the likelihood of incidents such as explosions and fires.
In general, the discovery of this hidden tunnel can be considered a serious warning in preventing the theft of national resources and ensuring the safety of gas supply facilities in the country.
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