14 Die in Blast at BP Oil Refinery in Texas

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:17 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> March 24, 2005 14 Die in Blast at BP Oil Refinery in Texas By RALPH BLUMENTHAL HOUSTON, March 23 - A fiery explosion with plumes of black smoke shattered a chemical unit at the huge BP oil refinery in Texas City near Galveston on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 100, the authorities said. "There are still some people who are not accounted for," Don Parus, the refinery manager, said Wednesday night, hours after the fire was reported to be extinguished. Mr. Parus said that the cause was not yet determined but that the explosion occurred in an isomerization unit, which raises the octane level of gasoline. Camille Dass, a BP spokeswoman, said foul play was not suspected. Fire engines and police cars roared in and out of the plant, and medical helicopters swooped in on evacuation missions. "When a chopper would come in, another would take off," said Sgt. Tim Zaragoza of the Texas City Fire Department. "It looked like a small war zone of bodies being loaded up." The plant, BP's largest in the nation, has 1,800 employees, is spread over 1,200 acres and refines 460,000 barrels of crude oil a day. It is considered "the most complex facility in the world," said another company spokesman, Hugh Depland. The plant is still operating. Almost a year ago, on March 31, 2004, a series of explosions rocked the refinery, with no reported loss of life. In April 1947, Texas City was the site of the country's worst accident when ammonium nitrate stored in two ships docked at the port exploded, nearly obliterating Texas City and claiming at least 576 lives. In the wake of Wednesday's explosion, a seven-member investigation team from the United States Chemical Safety Board was scheduled to arrive at the site Thursday. John S. Breland, a board member, called it "a very serious accident" and described the situation as "very bad." Neil Chapman, a BP spokesman, said the plant had been shut down for its annual major maintenance, a process called "turnaround," and it was gradually being brought back on stream when the explosion occurred. Industry experts pointed out that explosions at refineries have usually happened during the turnaround, when processes are in flux, rather than when a unit is fully up. The plant is supplied by pipeline and ship, mainly with oil from Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, Mr. Chapman said. "This will have a huge impact on the plant," said Annie Smith, a spokeswoman for BP America in Houston. "But it won't shut it down." BP said that although the explosion sent up big black clouds of smoke, people who lived near the refinery were not asked to evacuate and no toxic substances were released into the air by the explosion. The company said it was trying to account for the whereabouts of all 1,800 employees, who work at the plant in two shifts. The company so far does not think that the explosion was caused by terrorism or foul play but cautioned that it was far too early to draw any conclusions. "There will be a long and intensive investigation to determine the cause of the explosion," Ms. Smith said. "But we don't believe it to be an act of terrorism. So that leaves something in the operation of the plant." Mark Baxter, director of the Maguire Energy Institute at the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said of the potential impact that with oil prices so high, supplies so tight and refineries running at very high capacity, the explosion would probably bump prices of oil and gasoline higher in the short term. "The magnitude of the impact today is greater than it would have been 10 years ago," Mr. Baxter said, "because we are in such a tight, volatile market." John Koloen, a spokesman for University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, said: "We've treated 22 people. We have 3 listed in critical condition, 3 listed in serious condition and 16 listed in fair condition." As for the the nature of the injuries, he said he had "no specific information." But he added, "It runs the gamut of everything from burns to scrapes and bruises and stuff." Mr. Koloen added, "We received our first patient about 20 minutes after the explosion." He also said Mainland Hospital in Texas City and Clear Lake Regional Hospital received some patients. The blast rattled windows as far away as Galveston, about 20 miles across the bay, and the Clear Lake area around the Johnson Space Center. BP set up an emergency telephone number for relatives to call for updates on the injured, and it called in extra staff members to provide support services. Mr. Depland of BP said it had not been determined how many of the dead were killed in the blast and fire or how many died later from their injuries. Some of the injured were treated and released, he said. Maureen Balleza and Wendy Grossman contributed reporting for this article. Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company </td></tr></table>

Richard K Niner · Postby **Richard K Niner** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 6:09 pm

>< Ouch...

Zaaphod · Postby **Zaaphod** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:30 am

Oof. That's rough.

Tom Flapwell · Postby **Tom Flapwell** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 1:50 pm

The total went up to 15 when I checked a paper this morning.

Supersmoke · Postby **Supersmoke** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 4:13 am

Texas, eh? ....WWBD..... EDIT: Considering the context, the second "W" could be would/will.

Arloest · Postby **Arloest** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 5:27 am

Hey, I live in Texas and I definitely do not support Bush. But let's not turn this into a $#)(*&@ politcal debate. Please. Yeah, I heard about this on the local news. Sad. And also I'm driving by Texas City tomorrow.

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 1:54 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Car ignition suspected in refinery blast Associated Press Published March 31, 2005 HOUSTON -- Investigators said Wednesday that it appears likely a spark combined with hydrocarbon liquid and vapor to set off the refinery explosion that killed 15 people and injured more than 100 others last week. Investigators are considering the possibility that a car's ignition caused the blast in the isomerization unit, where octane levels in gasoline are raised, U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board spokesman Daniel Horowitz said. "Witness evidence points to possible ignition sources on the ground," CSB manager Bill Hoyle said in a statement. Investigators are hampered because they cannot enter the isomerization unit; the dome of a benzene storage tank at an adjoining refinery tank farm may be leaking hazardous vapors. Copyright 2005, Chicago Tribune </td></tr></table>

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