Domino effect in processindustry accidents an inventory. Routinely, when welders work inside refineries their sparks are doused with refinery water as a precaution. On february 23, 1999, a fire occurred at the tosco avon refinery in martinez. Hydrocracker construction rotterdam exxonmobil basestock. The first section of the new hydrocracker system arrived in rotterdam today, tuesday 25 october. The initial project commenced back in 1994 and involved the construction of a lube oil hydrocracker facility, which was situated adjacent to the existing westlake refinery. Unfortunately, the products from a classic mild hydrocracker will not meet the stringent specifications for 21st century fuels. A tank violently exploded while it was being emptied of its contents. On october 21, 2016, a chemical release occurred at the mgpi processing plant in atchison, kansas. Operating practices incidents that define process safety. Breaking major explosion at valero plant oil refinery. Home newsletter technology and more technology and more 2011 summer hydrocracking, processing heavy feedstocks to maximize high quality distillate fuels by.
Compare pay for popular roles and read about the teams worklife balance. The marathon martinez refinery refines oil into gasoline and other petroleum based products. Pennzoil rouseville, pennsylvania, refinery 33 and the 1997 tosco avon refinery that documented the following. By jim gotesky san francisco facts are emerging slowly about the massive january 21 explosion and fire at the tosco avon refinery in martinez, california, that killed one worker and injured 44 others. Glanzman, a tosco employee, was killed during an explosion and fire in a hydrocracking process unit. Refinery operations koch, sun and tosco each conducted oil refining operations at the refinery. Koch manufactured gasoline, kerosene, distillate, naphtha, range oil, fuel oils, and asphalt products at the refinery. On november 22, 2016, an isobutane release occurred in the sulfuric acid alkylation unit at the exxonmobil refinery. During removal of the piping, naphtha was released onto the hot fractionator and ignited.
Rmp marathon refinery hazardous materials programs. Today, zoch runs one of the biggest fireworks shows in the state, avons annual salute to the usa celebration. The san francisco business times features local business news about san francisco. Tosco refinery is located at 80 san pablo ave in rodeo and has been in the business of nonclassifiable establishments since 2005. Bosses try to blame workers in oil blast the militant.
The accident at duponts facility, located east of houston, killed four workers and injured a fifth when methyl mercaptan, a toxic chemical used in the companys insecticide and fu. In this tragic incident the precipitating cause was, in fact, flange. Environmental protection agency today released the chemical accident investigation report on a january 21, 1997 explosion and fire at the tosco avon refinery in martinez, california. The refinery processes approximately 160,000 barrels. Obtaining leak free bolted joint operation by returning to. Epa chemical accident investigation report tosco avon. Michael glanzman, 41, was killed by an explosion that ripped through the hydrocracker at toscos avon refinery near martinez. Tosco bought the 2,300acre windswept spread of tanks and towers on the eastern edge of martinez along suisun bay in 1976. Epa chemical accident investigation report, tosco avon refinery, martinez, california open pdf 2 mb.
A history of major process changes to stage 2 of the hydrocracker unit are summarized in appendix b. With production startup on track for late 2018, this expansion will make rotterdam a major. The action comes after a fatal fire at a processing unit on february 23. Tosco avon refinery martinez, california refinery fire incident kindle edition by csb chemical safety board. Construction begins on new hydrocracker at rotterdam refinery. Shutdown a major part of the refinery two people slightly injured fighting the fire. About 50 meters long and, with added platforms, 11 meters wide, the vacuum fractionation tower is the largest piece of equipment placed on the foundation intact. In 1964 tosco, standard oil of ohio, and cleveland cliffs iron company formed colony development, a joint venture company to develop the colony oil shale project in colorado and to commercialize the tosco ii technology.
Corrosionpedia explains hydrocracking hydrocracking is a catalytic chemical process used in petroleum refineries for converting the highboiling hydrocarbons in petroleum to lowboiling products such as gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel and diesel oil. The business, known as bapco, started a partial shutdown last week and has stopped the 267,000 barreladay refinery s hydrocracker for servicing bahrain refinery shut for maintenance the state oil company usually exports vgo when there is an outage at its hydrocracker, a unit which further processes the feedstock into highervalue products. The principal fuels produced are gasoline and diesel. Hydrocracker article about hydrocracker by the free dictionary. Later the hydrocracker owned by excel paralubes underwent a capacity expansion program, and in 19951996 the conoco refinery expanded to provide additional feedstock for. After the accident at the tosco avon refinery in martinez, calif. Formerly known as the tesoro refinery, ultramar golden eagle refinery, tosco avon refinery, and phillips avon refinery.
That celebration is a tradition dating back nearly 30 years. Jill meister and roger lawrence in todays refining environment, where refining margins are getting tighter, processing opportunity crudes is desirable. The events title sponsor is westin riverfront resort and spa. Smoke was visible over much of the north bay area disruption in traffic sirens sounded, people were asked to shelterinplace. First hydrocracker section arrives at 3e petroleumhaven. Tosco now now tesoro avon, ca february 23, 1999 50 crude unit flash fire killing 4 people and seriously injuring another. Epa chemical accident investigation report tosco avon refinery. You wont want to miss this hallmark event salute to the usa will quickly become a tradition in your family. Epa550r98009 november 1998 epa chemical accident investigation report tosco avon refinery martinez, california u. Cherne, a subsidiary of kiewit, has been working on major projects at the wood river refinery since 1997. The hydrocracker upgrades lowquality heavy gas oils from the atmospheric or vacuum distillation tower, the fluid. Rotterdam, april 2017 exxonmobil successfully completed the heavy lift of its vacuum fractionation tower for the hydrocracker at its rotterdam refinery this april.
Find out what works well at tosco from the people who know best. Nov 14, 2017 hydrocracker flexicoker crude unit reformer aromatics plant refinery proprietary 50% electricity demand generated by cogeneration unit all fuelgas provided by own processes no production of fuel oils. Uds, san antonio, has agreed to buy the avon refinery of tosco corp. Two years ago, workers at the avon petroleum refinery in martinez were instructed to replace a leaky pipe through which flowed a highly. Get the inside scoop on jobs, salaries, top office locations, and ceo insights. Exxonmobil to expand rotterdam hydrocracker to produce higher. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Seven workers have died in the past 16 years at toscos avon plant, which also has the distinction of having more air pollution fines and calosha citations than any other refinery recently. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading tosco avon refinery martinez, california refinery fire incident. Breaking major explosion at valero plant oil refinery fire crews scramble to the scene. Hydrocracking is an important source of diesel and jet. During suns and toscos ownership, the refinery manufactured automotive gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation. This document is a report from the environmental protection agency, chemical emergency preparedness and prevention office about an explosion and fire at the tosco avon refinery in martinez, california.
Obtaining leak free bolted joint operation by returning to basics. It is located in the san francisco bay area in an unincorporated area known as avon, east of martinez, california. The refinery was first built in 19 under the name avon refinery, and has been continually expanded since. Hydrocracking, processing heavy feedstocks to maximize high. A hydrocracking unit, or hydrocracker, takes gas oil, which is heavier and has a higher boiling range than distillate fuel oil, and cracks the heavy molecules into distillate and gasoline in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst. The blast injured more than 40 other workers and sent political and emotional aftershocks throughout contra costa county.
Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Some of the injured were inside or near contractor trailers close to the hydrocracker unit. Domino effect in processindustry accidents an inventory of past events and identification of some patterns author links open overlay panel bahman abdolhamidzadeh a tasneem abbasi b. Most recently, cherne oversaw construction and construction management for the core project after successful completion of a new hydrocrakcer and ultra light diesel units at this same refinery location. Refinery hydroprocessing oil refining pall corporation. Full oil incident list by state national wildlife federation. Ultramar diamond shamrock to buy toscos avon refinery. The calcining facilities process green petroleum coke for use in the production of aluminum and other industrial applications.
During drilling operations at a gas well in pittsburg county oklahoma, a large explosion. At approximately 2200, august 5, 1997, an unknown quantity of heavy fuel oil and jet fuel was spilled from the tosco refinery in ferndale, washington. The heat exchanger at the tosco bayway refinery ruptured and injected gasoil into the cooling water that leads into morses creek. On november 22, 2016, an isobutane release occurred in the sulfuric acid alkylation unit at the exxonmobil refinery in baton rouge. Once the hydrocracker expansion project is complete, the rotterdam refinery will produce exxonmobil s ehc group ii base stocks in europe for the first time, for supply to the european, african and middle east base oils and lubricant industries. Tosco the oil shale corporation was an independent us based petroleum refining and marketing corporation based in stamford, connecticut. Hydrocracking, processing heavy feedstocks to maximize. Avon tosco refinery collection online archive of california. Improved unit operations allows flexibility between gasoline and diesel production by maximizing yield cuts. Hydrocracker effluent pipe rupture, tosco, avon refinery, california, usa, january 21, 1997 bp texas city isomerisation unit explosion, texas, usa, march 23, 2005 incidents that define process safety.
Our refinery hydroprocessing solutions maintain reaction efficiency and campaign length. Environmental protection agency office of solid waste and emergency response chemical emergency preparedness and prevention office washington, d. Epa chemical accident investigation report, tosco avon. The chemical safety and hazard investigation board csb recently released its final report on the fire saying that it could have been prevented by better management supervision of safety. The company name was changed to tidewater oil company in 1956. The spill occurred during operations in which a mixture of jet a fuel and water was being pumped through a series of. Phillips 66 is a diversified energy manufacturing and logistics company. On 21 january, 1997, an explosion and fire occurred at the tosco avon refinery in martinez, california, when a section of effluent piping ruptured in a hydrocracker unit releasing flammable gases which instantly ignited. To find out more about what cookies are, how we use them and how to delete them, see our cookie statement. Relax and get ready for grammy award winning musicians following by the most amazing fireworks display the state of colorado has to offer 10,000 shells explode in a pyrotechnic extravaganza of dazzling color and sound. Avon, colorado the 24th annual salute to the usa will be held in avons harry a. Join facebook to connect with fred vigil and others you may know. The coker processing unit at carson has been shutdown. Improving hydrocracker unit operations with the smart refinery the hydrocracker unit is an essential process for the overall refinery profitability in converting low value heavy feedstock into higher value fuels such as diesel and gasoline.
The total refinery antwerp optara project is a major investment project including new mhc hydrocracker and sda solvent deasphalting unit further works entails ards atmospheric residue desulphurisation unit ards12, sour water stripper. Hydrocracking is a catalytic chemical process used in petroleum refineries for converting the highboiling constituent hydrocarbons in petroleum crude oils to more valuable lowerboiling products such as gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel and diesel oil. He became the fourth generation of smith men to work there. Operating practices the british r101 airship disaster, france, october 5, 1930 hydrocracker effluent pipe rupture, tosco, avon refinery, california, usa, january 21, 1997 bp texas city lsomerisation unit explosion, texas, usa, march 23, 2005 11. The blast from the explosion blew out the windows of one trailer and the flames prevented workers from exiting the trailer door.
Tosco stands down avon refinery hydrocarbon online. Construction begins on new hydrocracker at rotterdam refinery we use cookies to help personalise your web experience and improve our websites. Achieve hazefree steamstripped diesel and protect hydrogen recycle compressors. A tosco operator was killed and 8 tosco and 38 contractor personnel were injured. Tosco bought the 2,300acre windswept spread of tanks and towers on the eastern edge of martinez along suisun bay. By jim altenberg martinez, california a report issued by the tosco refining co. Refiners making these investments frequently turn to mild hydrocracking as a way to produce an incremental amount of diesel and gasoline. An explosion and fire occurred in the hydrocracker unit at the facility on jan.
On february 23, 1999, a fire occurred in the crude unit at tosco corporation. Commissioning support for total refinery antwerp mhc hydrocracker. The refinery is located on 2,200 acres, has approximately 650 fulltime employees, and has a crude oil capacity of 166,000 barrels per day. The fire sent plumes of thick black smoke billowing over three cities, and. A case study strategies and studies to prevent failures. Led united way campaign for two years at the avon refinery tosco corp.
Major accidents at chemicalrefinery plants hazardous. In the first, a 1997 hydrocracker explosion killed one worker. Hydrocracker effluent pipe rupture, tosco, avon refinery, bp texas city lsomerisation unit explosion, texas, usa. Cnn 1 dead in explosion, fire at california refinery. Global demand growth for high quality fuels is driving refinery investments that maximize production of these key products from every barrel of crude processed. Troubled by repeated emission releases and other accidents, tosco corp. Once the oil was in the water it went under a series of prestaged boom into the arthur kill. The blackened area in the center of this photograph is the site of the jan. Avon paul zoch started in the fireworks business the way youd expect as a boy, lighting fourth of july rockets and firecrackers with his dad.
Even unconverted oil from your hydrocracker can serve as a highquality feedstock for lube oil plants, fluid catalytic cracking fcc units or steam crackers. The unit, a vacuum fractional distillation column some 50 metres tall and 9 metres wide, was manufactured in belgium. View fred fongs profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. Oct 29, 2015 rotterdam, netherlands exxonmobil will expand the hydrocracker unit at its rotterdam refinery to upgrade heavier byproducts into cleaner, highervalue finished products, including ehctm group ii base stocks and ultralow sulfur diesel, to meet growing global market demand. Toscos lar refinery system is comprised of two locations, carson and nearby wilmington plant, which act as one refining system. The refinery processes approximately 160,000 barrels 1 barrel 42 gallons of crude oil per day into transportation fuels.
Fred fong san francisco bay area professional profile. The militant 21797 facts emerge on oil explosion in. Informed speculation had it that one suitor was british petroleum, which was said to be interested in establishing a presence on the west coast through tosco s avon refinery. Tosco claimed that at least three multinational corporations made offers, but refused to announce the identity of the suitors. Haunting memories victims family frustrated one year. Explosion at bp grangemouth hydrocracker, march 22, 1987 reactive chemicals. Basis of decision to investigate the tosco accident on january 21, 1997, an explosion and fire occurred at the hydrocracker unit of the tosco refinery at martinez, california, resulting in one death, 46 worker injuries and precautionary shelteringinplace for the surrounding community. In the 3 years prior to the incident, neither tosco s corporate safety group nor avon facility management conducted documented audits of the refinery s line. The annual independence day celebration will begin at 5 p. Bo smith followed in some familiar and familial footsteps when he was hired on at the borger refinery. Through august 31, 2000, when tosco sold the avon refinery to uds, tosco operated avon, also located in the san francisco bay area, as part of the sfar system. The men were part of a repair crew working on a 100foot tower, who were trapped after a fireball erupted.
Four generations of the smith family at phillips 66. The blast took the life of michael glanzman, a hydrocracker operator. Mgpi processing produces distilled spirits and specialty wheat proteins and starches. Bp refining process safety community of practices and. The refinery is an independent oil refiner and marketer of petroleum products in the united states. Workers were attempting to replace piping attached to a 150foottall fractionator tower while the process unit was in operation.