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Chalmette Refining (1376), Chalmette

LDEQ Accident Report

Accident #143258
State Police #12-16076
Accident Date2012-09-10
Report Date 2012-09-17
Follow-up Date 2012-11-16
Follow-up: Yes

Pollutants Released

Pollutant Duration Point Source Greenhouse Gas Criteria Pollutant Ozone forming chemical Amount of Release
Sulfur Dioxide5h 1m 12s#1 FlareNOYESNO3,696.0 pounds

Accident Classified As: Reportable Quantity

Cause of Problem: Other - See text

The flare gas management compressors tripped due to high molecular weight and staged the #1 Flare intermittently for 5.02 hours. Sulfur Dioxide was released to the air. Incident was caused by the Number 2 Coker Unit Naptha Splitter overhead safety relief valve relieving to the FGM compressors causing the shutdown.

Discharge Preventable - No

This event was not preventable. The PSV failed during a unit start-up and there were no indications that the system was overpressured. The PSV was sent out for maintenance, retested and recalibrated. Root cause of incident was #2 Coker Unit Naptha Splitter overhead safety relief valve was relieving to the FGM compressors causing the shutdown. The PSV was sent out for failure analysis to determine the cause of the leak.

Notes/Remedial Actions

Started the third FGM compressor and added hydrogen to the flare to decrease the molecular weight to expedite the FGM compressors recovery. FGM compressors water seals were also re-inventoried with fresh water. PSV was sent out for maintenance, retested and calibrated.