Gas operator Easygas has evaded key questions on the cylinders it circulated without serial numbers, though it provided a hypothetical explanation of how it ended up in this situation.

Easygas admitted last week to circulating cylinders without serial numbers and issued a recall saying these came from a faulty batch sent by one of its suppliers.

Competitor Liquigas, however, accuses Easygas of sending its yellow cylinders (the ones inherited from Enemalta) to Italy to be sandblasted and repainted, losing their serial numbers in the process, only to be brought back to be sold in Malta.

Liquigas appointed an engineer to compare the Easygas cylinders without serial numbers with the yellow cylinders. With each cylinder studied, the engineer pointed out many uncanny structural similarities with old Enemalta cylinders, it said. In one case, the company added, there was also yellow paint underneath the gas valve indicating the cylinder was previously painted yellow.

The cylinders have retesting tags underneath the valves that do not carry the name of the notified retesting body. These tags are also removable, even though they should not be.

Easygas admits sending cylinders to Italy for storage and eventually to be sandblasted and repainted but it denies any connection between these cylinders and those that were circulated without serial numbers.

It said that sandblasting and repainting in Easygas colours would have only been done after a court verdict on who owned the old Enemalta cylinders. (The court has not yet decided who the cylinders belong to, following Enemalta’s privatisation, but Easygas agreed in court not to refill or market the cylinders as their own product until a verdict was issued.)

The Times sent a series of questions (see box) for more details on how the company ended up with cylinders without serial numbers and about the company’s reason for sending the yellow cylinders in its possession to Italy.

Easygas replied it had nothing further to add to its declaration that the cylinders it sold in Malta were not previously Enemalta/ Liquigas cylinders. However, it agreed to explain how the situation “could have come about

“Cylinders are ordinarily bought from the international market, either new or second hand. As long as they are recertified, it is not important whether they are new or previously unused. Invariably, they are bought in quantity and not subjected to an individual inspection of their serial number but instead are accompanied by the relevant documentation attesting to the serial number of each cylinder.

“It is evident that a number of these were supplied to us without having fully legible serial numbers and we are working with the regulator and distributors to identify, recall and remove from circulation.

“On the other matters you raise, the company feels that its replies are sufficient to allay any fears and concerns. Thereon, it has nothing further to add.”

Meanwhile, investigations by the police, the Malta Resources Authority and the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority continue but no updates have been given so far. The authorities did say, however, there was no cause for public alarm and that a lack of serial numbers did not render cylinders unsafe.

Twelve questions

The Times put these questions to Easygas:

When did Easygas realise a batch of its gas cylinders had no serial numbers?

Why were they placed on the market despite not having serial numbers?

Has Easygas written to the supplier from where it bought the cylinders to complain? If not, why not? If yes, can you supply a copy of the letter?

How many cylinders without serial numbers does Easygas estimate to have in circulation?

Since the recall, how many of these cylinders have been withdrawn from the market?

If they do not have serial numbers, how can Easygas be sure they are tracked down?

Does Easygas believe it should compensate consumers in some way for putting illegal cylinders on the market?

How many cylinders were sent to Valcollaudi gas plant in Italy for storage with a view for them to be tested and resprayed in the future?

What proof, in writing, do you have that Easygas told the Italian company to postpone repainting until the court judgment?

Can Easygas confirm that no yellow cylinders were ever tested or resprayed at Valcollaudi and at all times only kept for storage?

Who supplied the cylinders without serial numbers? Were any of the cylinders supplied by Valcollaudi?

Easygas claims to have acquired 25 per cent share of the local gas market but has only 4,128 cylinders belonging to Enemalta or Liquigas customers. How do these figures tally?

How the story developed

In a privatisation deal, Liquigas took over Enemalta’s gas division in February 2009, inheriting the old yellow and brown cylinders and introducing green ones.

In January 2011, new competitor Easygas started distributing dark grey cylinders and started to give customers a generous refund for their old Enemalta cylinders.

Liquigas tried to stop Easygas from hoarding cylinders due to depleting stocks but the courts rejected the request. In court, Easygas promised not to fill or market the cylinders as its own, while a more exhaustive case goes on.

In October, the Italian police found 1,500 Enemalta cylinders at a gas plant in Italy and impounded them, following a police report by Liquigas. The plant owner told the police he was asked to sandblast and repaint the cylinders and stick an Easygas tag.

Liquigas said it tracked down dark grey Liquigas cylinders in Malta with their serial numbers clearly grinded off. The cylinders, it said, bore striking similarities to those of Enemalta. One of them had yellow paint around the valve. The cylinders also had recertification tags that were removable and which did not say where they were recertified.

Easygas recalled the cylinders with no serial numbers and admitted sending Enemalta cylinders to Italy with a view for them to be repainted after the court’s verdict but denied any link between the two issues.