Jiang Jiemin, chairman of CNPC, also known as PetroChina, has received "demerit" marks as warnings for being responsible for a string of explosions and fires at the company's subsidiaries, Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday.

On July 16, 2010, two crude oil pipelines in Dalian port operated by PetroChina blew up after a crude vessel discharged oil into the pipes, causing a huge oil spill in the sea. The accident, which killed one and injured several, caused a direct economic loss of 223 million yuan (US$35 million).

Prosecutors have taken over the cases of 14 people allegedly responsible for the blast and oil spill, according to China's State Council.

Also at the company, 29 executives and employees have received disciplinary measures for violating Party or administrative rules and thereby contributing to the accident.

Dalian, an oil and petrochemical hub, has since July of last year come under the spotlight after a string of accidents at oil facilities operated by PetroChina.

On Oct. 24, 2010, a fire broke out at the Dalian Petrochina International Warehousing and Transportation Co Ltd.

This July, a fire accident hit the Dalian Petrochemical Corporation. A month later, an explosion and fire hit the petrochemical company. No deaths were reported in those accidents.

China's business press carried the story above on Friday.