LA Bucket Brigade : Refinery Accident Database

About the Database

Phillips 66 (2538), Lake Charles

Causal Factor: Process Upset

LDEQ Accident Number Accident Date	Point Source(s)	Notes	Amount of Release
No LDEQ Reported 2005-12-20	Leak	Cause: Leaking valve Followup: No Notes: operator cleaned header and used absorbent pads to pick up oil from dock to water.	<1/2 pint
84196 2005-11-30	C-Szorb Unit	Cause: Fire due to a flange leak on the feed exchanger to the S-Znob Unit. Followup: No Notes: Fire was extinguished, the course was isolated and the unit was shut down. Incident was preventable; flake leak caused by unequal heat expansion due to incorrect application of insulation.	Volatile Organic Compounds: 8.0 pounds Nitrogen Oxide: 17.0 pounds
85943 2006-02-24	Area B- South Flare (EP31)	Cause: Release caused by poor NaHS operation and south flare caustic scrubber startup not completed. Followup: No Information Provided Notes: South Flare Caustic Scrubber is in full operation. HAZMAT # 06-01158	Sulfur Dioxide: 5,600.0 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide: 61.0 pounds Nitrogen Oxide: 1.0 pounds
101916 2007-12-27	Level control valve(#4 Crude Unit tower)	Cause: level control valve Followup: No Notes: Spill did not reach ground, slight residue on tower equipment. Some naptha evaporat	Naphthenic Crude: 5.0 gallons
95203 2007-04-09	West Flare	Cause: Sat Gas plant experiences upset that results in flaring Followup: No Notes: No information given	Sulfur Dioxide: 456.0 pounds
103301 2007-07-05	South Flare - EQT 080	Cause: upset in the ARU Followup: No Notes: Level indicator on #2 regenerator tower malfunctioned and there isn't a redundant level indicator. Root Cause analysis estimates release at 19,800 lbs - approx 3,000 lbs more than original repor	Sulfur Dioxide: 19,800.0 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide: 178.0 pounds
112924 2009-02-21	Area A, B, and C heater stacks	Cause: The skimming of hydrocarbons at the #3 Flash Drum led to a foaming upset of the regenerator and inefficient H2S removal from the amine utilized in the high pressure fuel gas (HPFG). This caused a #3 Amine Regeneration Unit (ARU) system upset that resulted in combustion of refinery fuel gas with high H2S in the HPFG system. Ultimately, this caused SO2 to be released from fired heater stacks in Areas A, B, and C. Followup: Yes Notes: NOTE: Follow-up occurred on 3/31/09. Exceeds RQ. Immediate action taken was to add anti-foam to get the system back to normal and cleaning up the amine. Firing rates of heaters reduced to decrease SO2 released. Planned remedial action include increase frequency of skimming the #3 Amine Flash Drum to prevent sending large amounts of hydrocarbon to the regenerator all at once.	Sulfur Dioxide: 716.0 pounds
127251 2010-10-25	Sulfur Recovery Unit (SRU)	Cause: Upset in the sulfur recover unit; the "tail gas unit experienced a foaming incident," which allowed SO2 and SO3 to escape into the atmosphere. Followup: No Notes: No information given
126826 2010-10-02	West flare EQT330	Cause: "During start-up of the HDC [hydrocracker] unit, the amine contactor foamed leading to amine carryover and a high liquid level in the knockout drum which shutdown the recycle hydrogen compressor and triggered depressurizing of the unit to the flare." SO2 release above permitted amounts of 500lbs/hr but below RQs Flame carryover from flaring resulted in a "small" grass fire along the right-of-way of PPG Drive which was extinguished by the Westlake Fire Dept. Followup: No Notes: "Amine flow to the contactor has been reduced from typical to prevent recurrence."	Sulfur Dioxide: 949.0 pounds
121788 2010-02-26	FLARE: West flare	Cause: Foaming event in hydrocracker amine contactor (W-11001) resulted in liquid carryover into the knock-out drum of a compressor, which caused the compressor to shut down, opening the dump valve to flare. FLARE. Followup: No Notes: BRQ. Liquids drained from knock-out drum and compressor was restarted.	Sulfur Dioxide: 152.0 pounds
No LDEQ Reported 2012-02-16	FLARE: South Flare System	Cause: A third party vendor was preparing a line for maintenance by isolating and purging it. During the maintenance activity a high concentration H2S containing gas was sent to the South Flare System. Followup: No Notes: Fresh caustic solution and water were added to the South Flare Scrubber during the event to keep the scrubber as effective as possible. There is no SPOC report and no LDEQ report attached to this file.	Sulfur Dioxide: 600.0 pounds
155814 2014-05-07	#7 HDS	Cause: On 5/7/14 there was a release from the Area A North Flare (EQT 0539) caused by a process upset in the #7 HDS, likely due to feed contamination. Followup: No Notes: Reduced charge rate / changed barge off load tank.	Sulfur Dioxide: 1,358.0 pounds
153335 2014-01-07	North Flare	Cause: A sudden loss of the Hydrogen supplied from another facility caused a process upset in the PSA unit. Followup: No Notes: Telephone notification was made on 1/7/2014 regarding a release of SO2 from the North Flare. A sudden loss of the Hydrogen supplied from another facility caused a process upset in the PSA unit. Based upon engineering calculations, it was determined that the amount of SO2 released during the upset was less than the RQ. There was no information given on the duration.