Home Search Emissions Pollutants About the Database


CITGO Petroleum (1250), Lake Charles

LDEQ Accident Report

Accident #84652
State Police #05-09003
Accident Date2005-12-17
Report Date 2005-12-23
Follow-up Date 2006-01-03
Follow-up: Yes

Pollutants Released

Pollutant Duration Point Source Greenhouse Gas Criteria Pollutant Ozone forming chemical Amount of Release
Sulfur Dioxide3h 17mB-11 FLARENOYESNO35,600.0 pounds
Hydrogen Sulfide3h 17mB-11 FLARENONONO 
Carbon Dioxide3h 17mB-11 FLAREYESNONO 

Accident Classified As: Reportable Quantity

Cause of Problem: Equipment Design

Result of a shutdown of the JC-201 Compressor at the Coker II Unit. Root cause was due to an incorrect engineering design flaw in Transformer 444-S49-TRI-A protective relaying scheme. Transformer had been taken out of service to repair a secondary busing oil leak, and during re-energizing of the transformer the malfunction caused a power outage, causing shutdown on several critical pumparound pumps; the resulting loss of heat removal caused the overheated drum F-210 to fill with liquid.

Discharge Preventable - Yes

Notes/Remedial Actions

Caused the 4.16kV tie breaker to open when the differential relay operated. A significant contributing cause of the additional flaring after power was restored was the plugging of the case drains on JC 210 compressor. Engineering calculations states that they expected SO2 released to be slightly lower than their original report, under the NRS Consent Decree, and then stating that they calculated 35,458 lbs were released. No information given on amounts of H2S or CO2 released (does not say specifically BRQ, but only SO2 was listed as exceeded permit levels).