LA Bucket Brigade : Refinery Accident Database

Shell Chemical East (26336), Norco

LDEQ Accident Report

Accident #	136479
PDF Available	PDF
State Police #	12-00208
Accident Date	2012-01-12
Report Date	2012-01-19
Follow-up Date	0000-00-00
Follow-up:	No

Pollutants Released

Pollutant	Duration	Point Source	Greenhouse Gas	Criteria Pollutant	Ozone forming chemical	Amount of Release
Benzene	17h 46m	Relief valve in the OL-5 Process Unit	NO	NO	YES	55.8 pounds
Xylene	17h 46m	Relief valve in the OL-5 Process Unit	NO	NO	NO	6.2 pounds
Hexane	17h 46m	Relief valve in the OL-5 Process Unit	NO	NO	NO	0.3 pounds
Toluene	17h 46m	Relief valve in the OL-5 Process Unit	NO	NO	NO	18.0 pounds
1,3-Butadiene	17h 46m	Relief valve in the OL-5 Process Unit	NO	NO	YES	0.7 pounds
Styrene	17h 46m	Relief valve in the OL-5 Process Unit	NO	NO	NO	4.6 pounds
Ethylbenzene	17h 46m	Relief valve in the OL-5 Process Unit	NO	NO	YES	1.7 pounds
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)	17h 46m	Relief valve in the OL-5 Process Unit	NO	NO	YES	52.7 pounds

Accident Classified As: Reportable Quantity

Cause of Problem: Equipment Design

While making an inspection round on January 12, 2012, OL-5 operators found that a relief valve in the OL-5 Process Unit was leaking out of the vent connection. Process data does not indicate that the relief valve reached a high enough pressure to open. This relief valve has a bellows and the bellows top flange ring was found to be cracked in the rolled edge. The crack was approximately 1.5" long, and is believed to be a manufacturing defect. The valve has been returned to the manufacturer for inspection.

Discharge Preventable - No

This incident was not preventable by Shell Chemical LP. The defect in the relief valve was not predictable.

Notes/Remedial Actions

The operators immediately stopped the pump that supplies the pressure to this relief valve and the relief valve was blocked in per mitigation plan. The crack was approximately 1.5" long, and is believed to be a manufacturing defect. The valve has been returned to the manufacturer for inspection. The discharged was released mainly to a stormwater concrete containment area. There is some evaporation into the atmosphere. Vacuum truck cleaned up remaining material. Only benzene was above a reportable quantity during this leak.