South Africa - Lonmin shuts down refinery after fire
Platinum miner Lonmin warned today that some sales expected to complete this year could be delayed after a fire forced it to shut down a refinery. “Lonmin announces that there has been a minor fire in its Precious Metals Refinery which has now been fully extinguished. There were no injuries as a result of this incident and no permanent environmental damage,” said the group. The refinery has been shut down, said Lonmin adding that expects to recover to full operation in about 5 to 7 days. “We are investigating the impact on full year sales which could result in the deferring of up to 25,000 ounces of Platinum sales for 2006 into the first quarter of the 2007 financial year,” it added. Earlier this year Lonmin was forced to shut down the number one furnace at its Marikana operations after it detected a leak in the side wall.
US - Officials investigate green cloud over Great Falls plant
A green cloud briefly hovered over the Montana Refining Co. Tuesday evening and Great Falls fire officials continue to investigate the strange incident. Local authorities received several calls around 7 p.m. of a green cloud floating near the refinery, 1900 10th St. N.E “All we know is that there was a fire, and it was extinguished,” said Battalion Chief Steve Gonser with Great Falls Fire/Rescue. Gonser said fire officials responded to the refinery after the reports of the mysterious green cloud. The cloud quickly dispersed. Fire officials were told the cloud was green because of the extin-guishing agent used on the fire, Gonser said. Gonser said neither the fire nor the green cloud was reported to authorities, raising concerns about how incidents are handled. “We’re going to investigate it closer tomorrow,” Gonser said. “We’re most concerned about the communication breakdown.” A spokesman in the control room at Montana Refining said the cloud was primarily steam and was not a concern. He said a valve failed leading to the release of a large amount of steam. The valve has been repaired, he said.
Connacher Oil and Gas Ltd., a Calgary-based company, bought the Great Falls refinery earlier this year.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060926/NEWS01/60926009
Saudi Arabia - Fire at Saudi oil refinery kills one
DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia A fire erupted at an oil refinery in eastern Saudi Arabia Wednesday killing one employee before it was extinguished, Saudi Aramco, the company that owns the complex said in a statement. The blaze at Ras Tanura complex, north of Dhahran on the eastern coast of the Gulf Country, broke out at 4:50 a.m. local time (0150 GMT) and was brought under control in an hour, the statement from the Saudi Arabian Oil said. An accidental hydrocarbon leak that led to the accident was under investigation. Aramco said the incident did not interrupt operations at the refinery complex
US - Valero says refinery incident involved sulfur dioxide gas
Sulfur dioxide gas leaked from a sulfuric acid tank at Valero Energy's 130,000 b/d refinery in Houston, Texas, Wednesday morning, a spokeswoman for the company said in an updated statement. The statement clarified that the incident did not involve a spill of sulfuric acid, as previously stated by the company in an earlier press release.
The most recent statement also said that residents living near the refinery are not in danger and that the number of people taken to a hospital is 16. The refinery had just begun a 40-day maintenance turnaround that closed the entire plant; a second spokeswoman declined to comment when asked by Platts if the spill was related to the work. In the updated statement, spokeswoman Mary Rose Brown said, "Fortunately,we are not detecting any more gas levels in the community, so the shelter in place precaution for the local neighborhood has been lifted." In addition to providing more individuals with first aid "for potential exposure to the vapors," the number of individuals "taken to the hospital as a precaution is now 16." Houston Assistant Fire Chief Omero Longoria told the local ABC television affiliate that 30 to 40 employees were treated after having "minor complaints of respiratory injuries." The Coast Guard issued an advisory for vessel traffic in the Houston Ship Channel near the Valero refinery, but the key waterway remained opened. The Coast Guard's watch supervisor for the channel said the agency would monitor wind direction and take appropriate measures regarding traffic.
Shelter in Place Lifted for East Houston After Valero Incident
A shelter in place has been lifted East Houston as HAZMAT officials say there is no danger to those who live and work near the Valero refinery. A chemical release at the plant, located on Manchester along the Houston Ship Channel, caused officials to evacuate the refinery and call for the shelter in place around 9:35 this morning. Officials say dozens of people have been treated for respiratory problems after they inhaled fumes and several patients have been taken to area hospitals. Even with the lifting of the shelter in place order, plant workers have not yet been allowed to return to their jobs. Plant officials say the chemical release involved sulfur dioxide, a colorless gas that smells much like a just-lit match.
http://www.kbtv4.tv/news/default.asp?mode=shownews&id=12655
http://www.platts.com/HOME/News/6301945.xml?sub=HOME&p=HOME/News
Kuwait - Smoke at Ahmadi refinery
KUWAIT: Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) controlled heavy smoke from the company's sulfur facilities in the Ahmadi refinery. KNPC Public Relations Director, Mohammad Al-Ajmy, said yesterday that a firefighting team rushed to the facilities and controlled the situation within 15 minutes.
The incident did not cause any losses because it was controlled quickly, he added, noting that the KNPC has been investigating the cause of the incident to prevent it from occurring in the future. It was not clear what caused the smoke or if there had been a fire and if so, how it started. - Kuna http://www.kuwaittimes.net/localnews.asp?dismode=article&artid=1439051836
UK, Tank explosion at Total Lindsey Oil Refinery
Immingham, North Killingholme, Humberside. Total Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited (TLOR). Jacobs Catalytic Ltd. On March 22 it was reported that Total Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited (TLOR) has been fined £14,000 following a prosecution brought by the HSE after an explosion at its refinery in Immingham, North Killingholme. HSE's investigation found that TLOR failed to adequately manage risks posed to workers carrying out maintenance on its behalf on a crude oil storage tank. The explosion happened on December 14, 2005, while work was being carried out on a storage tank that was out of service. As part of the work, TLOR had contracted Jacobs Catalytic to use oxy-acetylene cutting equipment to cut brackets on the tank's floating roof, which consisted of 38 hollow pontoons that provide buoyancy. At the time of the incident, the tank was empty and the roof was at the bottom. Before work started all remaining oil and sediment from the space between the underside of the floating roof and the tank floor had been washed to a 'hydrocarbon free' standard. However, as the workers, who were standing on top of the roof, cut through the brackets a build-up of flammable oil vapour inside one of the hollow pontoons was ignited causing an explosion that blew several workers off their feet, with some reporting landing four to five metres from where they had been standing. Fortunately, none of the workers were seriously injured.
The HSE investigation found that TLOR had failed to preserve an adequate record of pontoons that contained leaks. In particular, although the presence of crude oil within the pontoon had been originally identified and recorded in 1988, this information was not preserved and not passed on to the contractor carrying out the work. As a result, the leaking pontoon was not cleaned out before the cutting work started. The investigation also found that TLOR had failed to ensure that a suitable and sufficient assessment of the potential for explosive was undertaken. TLOR's procedures required that operations staff carry out checks after cleaning but did not specify that pontoons were to be included. Although their procedures did require staff to inspect all pontoons for leakage and vapour build-up prior to cutting work, this was not done.
Total Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA) at Grimsby and Cleethorpes Magistrates' Court on March 21 2006 in that it did not ensure the safety of persons not in their employment. The company was fined £14,000 with costs of £518. Full details are available at:http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2006/e06034.htm
Romania - Bulgaria: Oil Slick Hinders Navigation?
The Romanian and Bulgarian governments are considering suspending navigation on the lower Danube River in response to a 62-mile-long heating oil slick that originated Oct. 2 from a leak at the Serbian Oil Industry installations in Prahovo, Serbia, 93 miles east of Belgrade. The Danube is the busiest trade route in southeast Europe and is the principle shipping corridor for Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. It also services Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova and Croatia. http://www.stratfor.com/products/premium/read_article.php?selected=Situation%20Reports&sitrep=1&id=277065
US - 1,000 barrels of gas oil spill at Port of Long Beach BP terminal
LOS ANGELES - BP PLC said Tuesday it was working to clean up about 1,000 barrels of gas oil that leaked from an underground pipeline at the Port of Long Beach. The leak, first detected Friday morning, occurred in a section of the 12-inch pipeline that is enclosed in concrete and runs beneath a railcar storage yard at the port, the oil company said. The pipeline carries gas oil - an ingredient used in refining gasoline and other fuels - from the port to a refinery. The company said the leak was contained, adding that none of the gas oil seeped into the ocean or any tributaries, nor had a significant impact on the environment. Robert Hughes, a spokesman with the state's Office of Spill Prevention and Response, echoed the company's assessment. The agency also said in a statement that it hadn't found any accounts of wildlife being harmed. BP has come under fire in recent months in the wake of a big oil spill in March in Alaska, the result of extensive internal corrosion in a stretch of pipeline that runs through the state. The cause of the leak at the port was still under investigation, said Cindy Wymore, a BP spokeswoman. In a statement, the company said it took full responsibility for the release of gas oil and its clean up. The Coast Guard also was involved in BP's clean-up effort and investigation into the leak. The Coast Guard said the company's response to the incident met the agency's requirements. As of Tuesday, about 870 barrels of the spilled gas oil had been recovered from a storm drain storage facility where the substance had collected and mixed with water, Wymore said. The liquid was being skimmed from the water, she added. Completing the clean-up, repairing the pipeline and getting it cleared by inspectors was expected to take at least another week, she said. One of the rail lines running on the area above the pipeline was shut down due to the clean-up effort, Wymore said. Otherwise, operations at the port were not affected by the leak, said Art Wong, a spokesman for the port. http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/15503526.htm
UK - OIL LEAK AT TETNEY TERMINAL
ABOUT 100,000 litres of oil has leaked from a storage tank at Tetney Oil Terminal, near Louth. Fire fighters have covered the oil spillage with foam to stop it catching fire and keep the smell at bay. Police closed a number of roads and set up a mobile unit at the scene. The remaining oil in the leaking tank is being pumped into another container. This could take until Thursday morning to complete. Site owner, ConocoPhillips, is satisfied that the situation is contained and that there is no risk to the general public. A company spokesperson said there might be a mild smell that may be a nuisance but has no health effects. Only essential personnel are currently on site. Chris Martin, a pollution officer with the Environment Agency, said an embankment - or bund – surrounds the tanks and stops any oil leaks spreading from the site, which is near the Louth Canal and a popular nature reserve. Mr Martin said: "There has been no release of oil from the site." A police spokesperson said it has not yet been necessary to make evacuations from nearby Tetney village. Crude oil is pumped into the tanks from tankers at sea. It is stored at the terminal before it goes to a refinery. Police and fire crews were called to the scene at 9.35am on Wednesday, September 13. http://www.louthtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=817&ArticleID=1766017
US - Investors seek BP safety meetings
Investors want reassurances that the closure of part of the Prudhoe Bay oil field in Alaska is not indicative of a systematic problem, the FT reported. The oil field, the largest in the US, was partially closed after serious corrosion was found in pipelines. BP said it had regular meetings with investors at all levels. BP bosses have been under fire over the firm's safety record following the Prudhoe Bay incident and an explosion at the firm's Texas City refinery near Houston last year, which killed 15 people. The Financial Times reported that a number of leading investors, including Morley Fund Management, are seeking one-to-one meetings with BP bosses to discuss the issue. "Following Prudhoe Bay there have been questions about the financial implications," said Rory Sullivan, head of investor responsibility at Insight Investment Management. "Prudhoe Bay raises questions at the operational level about the role of senior executives and governance of the company." BP's maintenance record was fiercely criticised by US lawmakers in a Congressional hearing into the Prudhoe Bay closure, which was triggered by an oil spill at the site. BP, which met with shareholders after the Texas City incident, said it did not comment on specific meetings. But it added: "We have regular meetings with investors at all levels, sometimes at their request and sometimes at ours." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5347996.stm
Canada - Second gas leak in 5 days at Alta. Shell plant kept residents inside
Residents northeast of Edmonton were told to stay indoors for nearly five hours Tuesday after toxic hydrogen sulphide leaked at Shell Canada's heavy oil upgrader. It was the second leak at Shell's Scotford plant in five days. Hydrogen sulphide started leaking from a valve in a hydrogen cracking unit at the plant around 10 a.m. About 1,400 workers from the plant and surrounding chemical plants were evacuated to safe locations, said Shell spokesman Randy Provencal. There were no injuries, he added. People in about 120 residences and businesses within a five-kilometre radius of the plant were also called and told to stay indoors until further notice, Provencal said. The leaky unit had to be depressurized and during that time Shell sprayed the unit with water to keep it cool and prevent the hydrogen sulphide, which is highly flammable, from catching fire, he said. "We did the off-site and on-site air monitoring throughout the incident and after the incident and there were no levels of concern detected off-site," Provencal said. Shell contained the leak around 3:30 p.m. and told residents it was OK to go outside again. Davis Sheremata of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board said it's not known how much gas escaped throughout the five hours. Hydrogen sulphide, also called sour gas, smells like rotten eggs. According to an Alberta government work safe site, the gas is extremely toxic and short-term exposure can cause irritation to the nose, throat, eyes and lungs, while higher concentrations can cause serious health complications and death. Sheremata said the board is investigating Tuesday's leak and another one that happened at a different part of the plant last Thursday. No one was injured in that leak and no sour gas was found outside the plant, he said. "There have been some concerns expressed to the EUB about the public notification that was done at that time and we're looking into that," Sheremata said. "We had concerns from some people about the way they were notified and from some people that they may not have been notified at all." The board approved late last month an expansion of the upgrader to nearly double its capacity. Provencal said last Thursday's leak involved flaring of sulphur dioxide gas. "We did do the shelter-in-place message with our neighbours last week as well, but the call-out wasn't as successful as we would have hoped it to be, so this time around it did go very smoothly and those folks were communicated to in a timely fashion." Provencal apologized to Shell's neighbours and said "this isn't something that we want to see happen at our plant site." "But I don't think this is reflective of our operational performance here at the plant site. "The refinery's been here for 23 years and the upgrader's been here for almost four years and we do have a solid track record from an operational perspective and a safety perspective." He stressed the two leaks are unrelated. Shell's Scotford upgrader processes bitumen from the Alberta oilsands into synthetic crude oil. It's part of its Athabasca oilsands operation, which it owns along with Western Oil Sands and Chevron Canada. In July, Shell announced plans to proceed with an expansion that could cost upwards of $12.8 billion to add an additional 100,000 barrels of daily capacity to the existing 160,000 barrel output. http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/060912/b091290.html
UK - Oil spill sparks fishers' fears
EAST Coast fishermen were this afternoon keeping a close eye on their grounds following a major spill of heavy crude oil from a coastal tank farm near Grimsby.
The incident was reported at the giant ConocoPhillips complex on the Lincolnshire Coast at Tetney. It is estimated that around 100,000 litres of crude oil have leaked from one of the tanks and staff are fighting to prevent it spreading into the water courses and into the sea. They are also taking measures to prevent fire. Police have sealed all roads leading to that part of the coast, although it is thought the spillage is now being brought under contol.
Oil is pumped from offshore oil tankers and stored in several nearby tanks. It is held there before being transferred to the ConocoPhillips refinery near Immingham. But the Tetney facility is close to a number of important inshore fishing grounds, a seal sanctuary and one of the most important bird nature reserves in Europe. And the Humber estuary is home to one of the busiest oil tanker routes in Europe.
A smell of oil has been reported, but all the company would say is that their staff were dealing with the incident and things were now coming under control.
Meanwhile, work has started to boost flood defences on the East Yokshire Coast where local fishing harbours have been threatened by high tides recently. The work is being carried out near Kilnsea, an important shellfish area.
Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart (Con) said: "I have learnt a lot about coastal issues through the situation facing Kilnsea. "All along the Holderness Coast people are facing the threat of coastal erosion and I will do all that I can to push for a fairer deal and greater understanding of the issues."
Despite the threat of encroaching seas, the Environment Agency said it decided last year there was not a good enough economic case to be made for improving the Kilnsea defences. The coastline, which lies in the mouth of the Humber estuary, has been eroding for centuries and is currently losing about two metres every year.
The fishing port of Scarborough has only just come off flood alert.
http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/5301/Oil_spill_sparks_fishers'_fears.html
US - Fire doused at York refinery
SEE VIDEO - http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=5481866&nav=menu45_2
A blaze that sent clouds of smoke into the air without injuring anyone Saturday is under investigation.
October 1, 2006 YORK -- A fire that broke out at the Yorktown Refinery on Saturday was quickly brought under control and didn't disrupt overall plant operations.
The blaze sparked just after 10 a.m. in a processing unit that removes sulfur from diesel fuel. The fuel going into the unit was shut off, and the refinery's fire brigade worked with York County firefighters to put out the flames. As the residual fuel burned itself off, billowing clouds of black smoke could be seen across Hampton Roads. Worried family members rushed to the refinery's entrance but were assured that there were no injuries to any of the 40 employees at work at the time. "Any incident that affects the community is unfortunate," said Matt Yarborough, human resources manager at the plant. "The important thing to us is that nobody got hurt." Firefighters trained hoses at and around pipes to cool down the area and keep the flames from spreading, said Capt. Tom Schwalenberg of York County Fire and Life Safety. There were no known environmental effects, he said. More than 50 firefighters worked the blaze. The cause is not yet known. Though owned and operated by Giant Industries of Arizona, the refinery is often still referred to as Amoco, which built the plant in 1956. In August, Giant announced it had been acquired by El Paso, Texas-based Western Refining. The plant, which converts about 62,000 barrels of crude oil into gas a day, has seen fires before. In 1996, a pipe ruptured and caused an explosion. There were two unrelated fires in 2001 and one in late 2005 that brought the plant to a standstill. The November 2005 fire damaged a unit that processes slurry oil, a refinery byproduct, to extract more gasoline. No one was hurt then, either. The refinery resumed full operations in the spring after repairs and some major system overhauls. Unlike the 2005 fire, Saturday's fire was contained to a portion of a processing unit, Yarborough said. Though the unit will be shut down indefinitely, the rest of the refinery will continue operating normally.
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-41873sy0oct01,0,395313.story?coll=dp-news-local-final
UK - Man dies after oil terminal fire
One of two men seriously injured in a flash fire at an oil terminal on Teesside has died.
A 52-year-old, from Yarm, suffered first degree burns in the incident at the ConocoPhillips petrol plant in Seal Sands on 19 July. A spokeswoman for the company said the man, who worked as an electrical supervisor, died in hospital on Sunday. The other injured man, who is in his 30s, remains in Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary. A Health and Safety Executive investigation into the incident is ongoing. The fire broke out in an electrical sub-station at the plant, which is operating normally. The company spokeswoman said: "We received the sad news on Sunday and we express our heartfelt condolences to the family at this time. "We are continuing to comply with the ongoing investigation." A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out in an effort to establish an exact cause of death. The company's Teesside plant was completed in 1975 and is designed to store crude oil for further shipment. The facility also separates natural gas liquids into ethane, propane and butane.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/5255292.stm
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