At this gas processing plant, a series of electrical power interruptions caused several shutdowns of one or both of the identical 165,000 bbl-per-day gas fractionation process trains. The parallel trains were separated from one another by approximately 100 feet. At the time of the loss, the propane feed was approximately 100% of design capacity for Plant I and 25% of design capacity for Plant II. It is believed that there was a release of approximately 1,900 bbl of propane in Plant I over a 30-minute period. A large vapor cloud is believed to have been ignited by a security vehicle, which had stalled and was being restarted. The probable source of the propane was a flange in a four-inch-diameter relief valve line.

[ Property Damage $65 Million. Estimated Current Value $156 Million ]

Image credit: Saudi Aramco