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Phillips 66 (2538), Lake Charles

LDEQ Accident Report

Accident #111828
State Police #09-00097
Accident Date2009-01-07
Report Date 2009-01-14
Follow-up Date 2009-02-02
Follow-up: Yes

Pollutants Released

Pollutant Duration Point Source Greenhouse Gas Criteria Pollutant Ozone forming chemical Amount of Release
Sulfur DioxideNo Information GivenNorth FlareNOYESNO 
Hydrogen SulfideNo Information GivenNorth FlareNONONO 
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)No Information GivenNorth FlareNONOYES 

Accident Classified As:

Cause of Problem: Start Up, Shut Down

Net gas compressor in No. 10 reformer was shutdown due to high vibrations. The shut down caused high volumes of gas and liquids to the North Flare. This resulted in a surge of high pressure on the flare header line to the North Flare.

Discharge Preventable - No Information Given

No Information Given

Notes/Remedial Actions

Immediately after the discharge, Conoco Phillips shut down Old Spanish Trail Roadway, and the North Flare was taken out of service. A Conoco personnel did a FLIR camera monitoring of the flare header line for VOC leakage. No leaks were found. LDEQ personnel were dispatched to the site later in the day after the discharge. They collected a summa canister air sample offsite and downwind of the North Flare. The canister did not detect any readings. Samples of ditch water was collected by Conoco Phillips on the north side of Old Spanish Trail on Sasol property. The water samples of SO2 was detected to be 0.7-4.0ppm, while H2S and VOCs levels were not detectable. During the collection, the inspectors described a pungent, sulfuric odor. CITIZEN COMPLAINT (T111853)- Ms. Debra Ramirez stated concern over the Conoco Phillips discharge. The LDEQ inspector's observations stated that the release was caused by a malfunction of the net gas compressor in the No. 10 reformer, which relieves to the North Flare. In an attempt to mitigate the release, operations began cutting charge rates to the units and diverting vent streams from the North Flare to the South Flare system.