Shell says Serendra gas has odor, witnesses disagree

While Serendra’s supplier of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) said it adds an odorant to their gas, witnesses in the May 31 Serendra blast claim otherwise. In an interview with GMA News Online, Roberto Kanapi, vice president of communication for Pilipinas Shell, said Shell injects more than the required “chemical additive called ethyl mercaptan in [the gas] we supply.” Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp is the gas supplier of Bonifacio Gas Corp (BGC), the exclusive provider of centralized piped-in gas in Bonifacio Global City. Kanapi has not returned text messages or calls from Rappler. The most commonly used chemical additive, mercaptan, is added to LPG to provide a distinctive smell so that in the event of a gas leak, residents are alerted by the foul odor. Without mercaptan or an odorant, it is virtually impossible to detect gas leaks by smell. Despite Shell’s claims, people who were in the blast site said they did not smell gas or anything unusual on the day of the blast. The explosion at Two Serendra in Taguig on May 31 killed 3 and injured 4.

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