A hydrocracker unit (HCU) was being restarted after a spurious high reactor temperature trip. Hydrogen was circulating through the reaction section with hydrogen leak-off from the high pressure (HP) separator liquid outlet to the low pressure (LP) separator being regulated by 2 control valves. When the control valves were placed in manual mode, they openedContinue reading “BP Grangemouth 1987 – Incident Summary”
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SIR Refinery Fire 2017
A hydrogen leak on a reactor ignited causing a fire in the hydrocracking distillation unit 87, causing extensive damage to the main reactor. No fatalities were declared.
Bayernoil Refinery Explosion 2018
A hydrocarbon release occurred from a reactor vessel on a naphtha hydrotreater unit. The vessel operated at around 25 bar and 140 degrees C. The release of hot naphtha and hydrogen created a vapor cloud that ignited, leading to an explosion and fire. It is understood that the explosion caused further releases from other partsContinue reading “Bayernoil Refinery Explosion 2018”
Hydrogen: Informing a Safe Decision to Achieve Net Zero
UK’s Climate Change Committee recommends the development of a hydrogen economy to service demands for some industrial processes, for energy-dense applications in long-distance HGVs and ships, and for electricity and heating in peak periods. By 2050, a new low carbon industry is needed with UK hydrogen production capacity comparable in size to the UK’s currentContinue reading “Hydrogen: Informing a Safe Decision to Achieve Net Zero”
PETROBRAS (RLAM) EXPLOSION 2015
An explosion occurred at one of Petrobras’ refineries. The blast occurred at a hydrogen conduit in an enclosed space, causing a flare and a displacement of air that threw the contract workers against the refinery’s metal structure. Proximate causes: • Inadequate maintenance • Failure following procedures • Lack of work rules/policies/ standards/procedures • Physical conditionContinue reading “PETROBRAS (RLAM) EXPLOSION 2015”
TIARUN EXPLOSION 2015
A high-pressure steam (3.7 MPa) discharge occurred during a maintenance process, resulting in three field workers burned to death. Proximate causes: • Lack of work rules/policies/ standards/procedures (wrong procedures for inspections); • Inadequate work rules plan (lack of the pre-start safety review before inspection). Source: A web-based collection and analysis of process safety incidents (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950423016302285)
Motiva Enterprises Explosion 2001
On July 17, 2001, an explosion occurred at the Motiva Enterprises LLC Delaware City Refinery (DCR) in Delaware City, Delaware. Jeffrey Davis, a boilermaker with The Washington Group International, Inc. (WGI), the primary maintenance contractor at DCR, was killed; eight others were injured. A crew of WGI contractors was repairing grating on a catwalk inContinue reading “Motiva Enterprises Explosion 2001”
PCA (Tomahawk) Explosion 2008
Three workers were killed in an explosion at the Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) fiberboard manufacturing facility while they were welding on a temporary metal clamp to stabilize a damaged flange connection. The flange was located on top of an 80-foot tall storage tank that contained recycled water and fiber waste. Facility personnel were unawareContinue reading “PCA (Tomahawk) Explosion 2008”
Silver Eagle Refinery Explosion 2009
On the evening of January 12, 2009, 2 refinery operators and 2 contractors suffered serious burns resulting from a flash fire at the Silver Eagle Refinery in Woods Cross, Utah. The accident occurred when a large flammable vapor cloud was released from an atmospheric storage tank, known as tank 105, which contained an estimated 440,000Continue reading “Silver Eagle Refinery Explosion 2009”
Chevron (Richmond) Refinery Fire 1989
A two-inch-diameter line carrying hydrogen gas at 3,000 psi failed at a weld, resulting in a high pressure hydrogen fire. The fire resulted in flame impingement on the calcium silicate insulation of the skirt for a 100-feet-high reactor in a hydrocracker unit. The steel skirt for this reactor, which was between 10 and 12 feetContinue reading “Chevron (Richmond) Refinery Fire 1989”