Major accidents at chemicalrefinery plants hazardous. Ultramar diamond shamrock to buy toscos avon refinery. For bay area refinery, fire rekindles memories of 2007. Sep 21, 2018 tosco claimed that at least three multinational corporations made offers, but refused to announce the identity of the suitors. Cnn california oil refinery fire kills 3, injures 2. In the 3 years prior to the incident, neither toscos corporate safety group nor avon facility management conducted documented audits of the refinerys line. Exxonmobil to expand rotterdam hydrocracker to produce. Exxon mobil corp plans to overhaul a gasoline producing unit and the hydrocracker at its 560,500 barrel per day bpd baytown, texas, refinery in march, sources familiar with. Construction begins on new hydrocracker at rotterdam refinery. Refinery explosion kills 1, injures 24 fiery blast at tosco.
Smoke was visible over much of the north bay area disruption in traffic sirens sounded, people were asked to shelterinplace. Nowhere is this more evident than in the epa report 6 on the tosco avon refinery 1997 incident in their hydrocracker unit that led to one operator death, 46 injuries and extensive damage to the refinery fig. Construction begins on new hydrocracker at rotterdam refinery we use cookies to help personalise your web experience and improve our websites. Workers were attempting to replace piping attached to a 150foottall fractionator tower while the process unit was in operation. 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. On february 23, 1999, four workers at the avon refinery in concord were burned to death after they tried to replace a leaky oil pipe. A safety video about the fatal april 2, 2010, explosion and fire at the tesoro refinery in anacortes, washington. 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. Saudi aramco signs contracts for yanbu refinery approximately 500 people, most contract workers, were on the job that night, six in the hydrocracker unit. The environmental protection agency epa identifies sites such as tosco corp bakersfield refinery because they pose or had once posed a potential risk to human health andor the environment due to contamination by one or more hazardous wastes. Shutdown a major part of the refinery two people slightly injured fighting the fire. Testimony of kim nibarger health and safety specialist.
A history of major process changes to stage 2 of the hydrocracker unit are summarized in appendix b. Refinery hydroprocessing oil refining pall corporation. Tecnicas reunidas signed up forthe refinerys coker package, whiledaelim signed the contract to installgasoline and hydrocracker units. Informed speculation had it that one suitor was british petroleum, which was said to be interested in establishing a presence on. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Led united way campaign for two years at the avon refinery tosco corp. The refinery is owned by andeavor 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. Tosco now now tesoro avon, ca february 23, 1999 50 crude unit flash fire killing 4 people and seriously injuring another. Hydrocracking, processing heavy feedstocks to maximize. Avon tosco refinery collection online archive of california. By the 1990s, a history of poor maintenance and understaffing gave the refinery a reputation for being a hazardous workplace. The reverberations from the blast were felt 20 miles away, with smoke and.
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. Two catspec contractors were working inside a refinerys reactor vessel that was cleared previously by the site employer for a planned turnaround. They were dressed multiple clothing layers, including a tyvek suit for chilly conditions outside, but temperature inside the vessel was above 100 degrees fahrenheit. The blast from the explosion blew out the windows of one trailer and the flames prevented workers from exiting the trailer door. In 1976 the company name was shortened to tosco after the company acquired the avon refinery in martinez, california, and other west coast facilities from phillips petroleum, making it a major player in petroleum refining. In the first, a 1997 hydrocracker explosion killed one worker. 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. Ultramar diamond shamrock to buy toscos avon refinery oil. The militant 21797 facts emerge on oil explosion in. The marathon martinez refinery refines oil into gasoline and other petroleum based products. Improved unit operations allows flexibility between gasoline and diesel production by maximizing yield cuts.
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. View fred fongs profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. Uds, san antonio, has agreed to buy the avon refinery of tosco corp. Epa chemical accident investigation report, tosco avon refinery, martinez, california open pdf 2 mb. The company name was changed to tidewater oil company in 1956. The accident occurred during startup of the refinerys naphtha hydrotreater. The blast took the life of michael glanzman, a hydrocracker operator. Epa550r98009 november 1998 epa chemical accident investigation report tosco avon refinery martinez, california u.
Tosco refinery in avon, california, a section of piping on a hydrocracker reactor ruptured, causing a mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbons to. It is located in the san francisco bay area in an unincorporated area known as avon, east of martinez, california. Fred fong san francisco bay area professional profile. Tosco avon refinery martinez, california refinery fire incident kindle edition by csb chemical safety board. Tosco claimed that at least three multinational corporations made offers, but refused to announce the identity of the suitors. Epa chemical accident investigation report tosco avon refinery. To find out more about what cookies are, how we use them and how to delete them, see our cookie statement. The militant 82597 bosses try to blame workers in oil. Obtaining leak free bolted joint operation by returning to basics. Aug 07, 2012 for bay area refinery, fire rekindles memories of 2007 blaze. The refinery was purchased by marathon petroleum co. Cnn 1 dead in explosion, fire at california refinery. Jill meister and roger lawrence in todays refining environment, where refining margins are getting tighter, processing opportunity crudes is desirable.
Epa chemical accident investigation report, tosco avon. All news releases by date united states environmental. Tosco corp bakersfield refinery is a superfund site located at 6500 refinery ave, bakersfield, ca 93308. Feb 24, 1999 california oil refinery fire kills 3, injures 2. Refiners making these investments frequently turn to mild hydrocracking as a way to produce an incremental amount of diesel and gasoline. A tosco operator was killed and 8 tosco and 38 contractor personnel were injured. Hydrocracking, processing heavy feedstocks to maximize high. An operator checking temperature readings on a panel located at the. Haunting memories victims family frustrated one year after fatal. Some of the injured were inside or near contractor trailers close to the hydrocracker unit. 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. Home newsletter technology and more technology and more 2011 summer hydrocracking, processing heavy feedstocks to maximize high quality distillate fuels by. Tuesday and sent a plume of large black smoke into the sky above the tosco avon refinery. A loud and fiery explosion rocked the tosco refinery co.
During removal of the piping, naphtha was released onto the hot fractionator and ignited. Obtaining leak free bolted joint operation by returning to. 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. Our refinery hydroprocessing solutions maintain reaction efficiency and campaign length. Rotterdam, netherlandsbusiness wireexxonmobil 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. The men were part of a repair crew working on a 100foot tower, who were trapped after a fireball erupted. Formerly known as the tesoro refinery, ultramar golden eagle refinery, tosco avon refinery, and phillips avon refinery. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading tosco avon refinery martinez, california refinery fire incident. 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 refinery was first built in 19 under the name avon refinery, and has been continually expanded since. On february 23, 1999, a fire occurred in the crude unit at tosco corporation.
Two years ago, workers at the avon petroleum refinery in martinez were instructed to replace a leaky pipe through which flowed a highly. Major accidents at chemicalrefinery plants hazardous materials. Epa chemical accident investigation report tosco avon. Global demand growth for high quality fuels is driving refinery investments that maximize production of these key products from every barrel of crude processed. Testimony of environment and public works us senate.
Oct 28, 2014 a safety video about the fatal april 2, 2010, explosion and fire at the tesoro refinery in anacortes, washington. Exxon plans baytown, texas cat cracker, hydrocracker work. Jan, 2017 exxon mobil corp plans to overhaul a gasoline producing unit and the hydrocracker at its 560,500 barrel per day bpd baytown, texas, refinery in march, sources familiar with plant operations said. Pennzoil rouseville, pennsylvania, refinery 33 and the 1997 tosco avon refinery that documented the following. The blackened area in the center of this photograph is the site of the jan. On february 23, 1999, a fire occurred at the tosco avon refinery in martinez. Tosco now tesoro avon, ca june 6, 2000, a fire at the coker unit. 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. Oil refinery modrica is the leading lubricants manufacturer on the market of bosnia and herzegovina.
Achieve hazefree steamstripped diesel and protect hydrogen recycle compressors. Tosco corp bakersfield refinery in bakersfield, ca homefacts. Tosco moves to sell troubled oil refinery facility. Join facebook to connect with fred vigil and others you may know. Martinez, california a report issued by the tosco refining co. Environmental protection agency office of solid waste and emergency response chemical emergency preparedness and prevention office washington, d. The refinery is an independent oil refiner and marketer of petroleum products in the united states. 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.
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