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ExxonMobil Refinery (2638), Baton Rouge

Causal Factor: Under Investigation

LDEQ Accident Number
Accident Date		 Point Source(s) Notes Amount of Release
No LDEQ Reported

2006-10-27		Tail Gas Clean -up Unit (TGCU) - valves 101, 738
Cause: possible heavy rain storm could have caused 738 to open due to a malfunction associated with heavy rain storm.

Followup: No

Notes: This accident was not preventable because it is the result of a malfunction of the 738 valve and a leak on the 101 valve. These failures were unexpected. Remedial measures - an investigation is ongoing and the appropriate follow up actions will be completed. Reportable quantities for sulfur dioxide were exceeded.		Sulfur Dioxide: 944.0 pounds
91379

2006-10-16		FLARE - #17 and #19 Flares
Cause: the cause of the flaring was high pressure in the refinery gas collection system due to a high volume of vent gas from the other refinery units. The source of the high vent gas rate was unable to be determined.

Followup: No

Notes: This incident was not preventable because the remedial actions were initiated before the flaring incident. These actions should have been sufficient to reduce vent gas rates. Two primary actions were initiated to reduce refinery vent gas rates. First, the compressor at the Hydrocracker was lined with the Refinery Gas Compression Unit Compressors to assist with processing refinery vent gas. Secondly, the crude feed rate to Pipestill #10 was decreased. Remedial Actions -an invgation is ongoing and the appropriate follow-up actions will be completed. The reportable quantity for nitrogen oxide has been exceeded.		Nitrogen Oxide: 10.0 pounds
Hydrocarbon: 61.0 pounds
Hydrogen Sulfide: 1.0 pounds
Sulfur Dioxide: 228.0 pounds
Nitrogen Dioxide: 2.0 pounds

Butene: 2.0 pounds
Propylene: 1.0 pounds
87051

2006-04-08		FLARE - C-30 and C-40 compressor
Cause: at the time of this report, the cause of the flaring incident was unknown and was under investigati

Followup: No

Notes: The only information provided is that the preventability of the incident had not been determined and was under investigation. Remedial Measures are listed the same way. The reportable quantities for nitrogen oxide were exceeded.		Hydrocarbon: 84.0 pounds
Hydrogen Sulfide: 1.0 pounds
Sulfur Dioxide: 315.0 pounds

Butene: 3.0 pounds
Propylene: 2.0 pounds
Nitric Oxide: 14.0 pounds
Nitrogen Dioxide: 2.0 pounds
101635

2007-12-11		Spill
Cause:

Followup: Yes

Notes: Line was removed from service. Line will be rerouted above ground to prevent future underground leaks.		Under Investigation
99633

2007-09-20		atmospheric release
Cause:

Followup: Yes

Notes: Unit depressurized immediately in accordance with emergency process. Investigation is ongoing, appropriate follow up will be complete		Hydrocarbon: 103,467.0 pounds
Hydrogen: 1,402.0 pounds
Benzene: 313.0 pounds
n-Hexane: 778.0 pounds
Cyclohexane: 65.0 pounds
98706

2007-08-16		air release
Cause:

Followup: Yes

Notes: Once detected regenerated caustic use at the wet gas scrubber was reduced and fresh caustic use was increased. This action reduced the potential for sulfide entrainment to the settling ponds.		Hydrogen Sulfide: 986.0 pounds
95990

2007-05-08		FLARE-Flare #5,20
Cause:

Followup: Yes

Notes: Attempts were made to restart compressor and without success a back up compressor was started. Feed rates were reduced to stop flaring.		Nitrogen Oxide: 66.0 pounds
Sulfur Dioxide: 4,659.0 pounds
Methane: 57.0 pounds
Ethane: 41.0 pounds
Propane: 35.0 pounds
94555

2007-03-10		release on Water Clarification unit
Cause:

Followup: Yes

Notes: area was evacuated to prevent unathorize entry until release ended.		Benzene: 29.0 pounds
104920

2008-04-21		oil sheen in drainage ditch
Cause: under investigation

Followup: Under Investigation

Notes: report submitted by Exxon mobile stating that due to the high level of the Mississippi river the water flowed into the drainage ditch and some is breaking into the water surface. Responisibility has not been taken due to the high level of water and cannot be determined between Exxon Mobile and Honeywell.
102970

2008-02-10		oil spill
Cause: Crude oil was discovered leaking from a low flow switch on a pump discharge line. The cause of the leaking switch is unknown at this time.

Followup: Yes

Notes: written report from Exxon Mobile surrounding oil spill incident stating other pollutants that had been released into the soil and their quantities. The pump was shut down and blocked to stop release of oil. A vacuum truck picked up pooled soil and soil remediation was initiated. Spill was located with in Anchorage Tank Farm in West Baton Rouge PArish. The low flow switch was removed and a blank was installed in its place.		Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): 596.0 pounds
n-Hexane: 5.0 pounds
Crude Oil: 113.0 gallons
127418

2010-10-30		Bleeder valve
Cause: Oil leaked into soil from a partially open bleeder. A full investigation is ongoing to discover the cause of this incident.

Followup: No

Notes: The bleeder was closed, plugged and more mitigations were added. Released exceeded LDEQ reportable quantity for oil to soil.		Oil: 646.8 gallons
122756

2010-04-14		no information given
Cause: There was a flash fire in Refinery Gas Compression Unit during routine compressor maintenance, per procedure, when the fire occurred. Root cause still under investigation. Three people injured and were sent to a local hospital.

Followup: No

Notes: Area secured and compressor isolated. Exxon is working with OSHA to determine root cause to prevent recurrence. No information given about pollutants emitted.
128556

2011-01-10		#1 East Debutanizer
Cause: There was a sulfur dioxide spike in the burner line that occurred on the #1 East debutanizer. An investigation is underway to determine the cause.

Followup: No

Notes: BRQ. LDEQ report states that the spike was believed to be greater than 500 lbs, over reportable quanity. In the refinery letter, Exxon Mobile states that only nine pounds of excess sulfur dioxide was released, which is BRQ.		Sulfur Dioxide: 9.0 pounds
139744

2012-05-15		FLARE: Flare #17
Cause: The cause it unknown. Intermittent flaring on flare #17. Flaring for 10-20 minutes, stopped for 30 minutes, went on for 2 hours total.

Followup: No

Notes: The root cause of the flaring is under investigation.
139672

2012-05-12		Flare #17
Cause: Flare #17 experienced a lazy flame for a short duration. A detailed investigation is being conducted to determine the root cause of the intermittent lazy flame on flare # 17.

Followup: No

Notes: No RQ values were exceeded for hydrocarbon gas as a result of this event.
159804

2014-10-31		No information given
Cause: Release occurred at the ExxonMobil refinery on 10/31/14. Initial calculations indicated a potential benzene reportable quantity exceedance. Though additional El Paso sampling and revised calculations, Exxon determined that no reportable quantities were exceeded. Less than ten pounds per day of benzene is being released as a result of this event.

Followup: No

Notes:
153521

2014-01-27
Cause: On January 27, 2014 at approximately 4:08 PM, the compressor GLA-3X at the PCLA (a fluid catalytic cracking unit) unit experienced an unplanned shutdown, causing material to be released to the site's flare gas system. Preliminary investigation results indicate the shutdown was caused by a higher than normal concentration of condensable distillate in a level instrument chamber as a result of inadequate steam tracing. The excess liquid bridged between the chamber wall and the radar rod, resulting in a false high level reading which tripped the compressor. The incident is under investigation to determine the exact root cause.

Followup: No

Notes: Upon compressor shutdown, the level instrument was bypassed to mitigate a repeat event. The incident is under investigation to determine the exact root cause and to provide mitigating steps to prevent recurrence.		Sulfur Dioxide: 6,497.0 pounds
Propylene: 137.0 pounds