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ExxonMobil Refinery (2638), Baton Rouge
Releases of Ethylene
| LDEQ Accident Number Accident Date |
Point Source(s) | Notes | Amount of Release |
| 05-BB009-1805 2005-06-20 | FLARE | Cause: flaring occurred when the wrong fan was shutdown on No35 cooling tower; the breakers were labeled 'A' and 'B' instead of 'East' and 'West' so one was mistakingly shut down Followup: No Notes: pressure was reduce in No12 depropanizer by temporarily returning the West Cell to service. The flare was relit, which reduced the emissions of propylene and propane to the atmospher | 35.0 pounds |
| 92695 2006-12-17 | FLARE - #17 and #19 Flares | Cause: -compressors had to be shut down for repair - compressor trip. Followup: No Notes: This incident was not preventable because the compressor trip that caused the flaring incident was unexpected. If the findings of this investigation indicate that the cause of the trip was preventable, a modified report will be issued. Remedial Measures - an investigation is ongoing and the appropriate follow-up actions will be completed. an assistant operator at the Refinery Gas Compression Unit (RGCU) noticed an unusual noise coming from one of the refinery gas compressors C-50. These was evaluated by compressor specialists and it was determined that the compressor had to be shut down for repair. An advanced notification was made in anticipation of the flaring event since the spare compressor was unavailable due to other mechan | 1.0 pounds |
| 89850 2006-08-04 | E-513 A exchanger on the 2 Light Ends Unit | Cause: E-513 A exchanger on the 2 Light Ends unit was leaking hydrocarbon to Cooling Tower #25. The leak is believed to have come from corrosion on the hydrocarbon side of the tube bundle. Followup: No Notes: This incident was not preventable because previous inspection reports indicate that this exchanger bundle is less than 6 years old and in serviceable condition. Remedial Measures - this bundle will either be replaced with a new bundle or repaired. A metallurgy upgrade to 410 stainless steel is being evaluated. Replacement and/or upgrade of exchanger bundles in similar is also being considered. LDEQ reportable quantities for butenes, propylene, highly reactive volatile organic compounds, and 1,3adiene were exceeded | 891.0 pounds |
| 86548 2006-03-16 | FLARE - Alkylation Feed Preparation Unit | Cause: The Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether Unit was converted to an Alkylation Feed Preparation Unit (AFP). The AFP was beginning its initial start up. As the level in one of the towers increased, steam was added to the reboiler to begin producing overhead product. During this time, the safety valves on the tower began relieving to the flare system, which resulted in the reported flare. During the conversion of the unit the overhead pressure meter was reranged in the field, but was no reranged in the control room. Due to this oversight the operator believed he was at a significantly lower pressure and did not immediately discover that the safety valves on the tower had lifted to the flare system. The calculations automtically completed by the flare system Followup: No Notes: The cause of the accident is listed as preventable in the company's report, but there is no explanation whatsoever as to why it was preventable - that section is blank. The only remedial measure listed is that the pressure meter range was corrected in the control room. The letter to LDEQ states that reportable quantities of nitrogen oxide and butenes were exceeded. | 2.0 pounds |
| 86248 2006-03-06 | E-515A exchanger on the No. 2 Light Ends Unit | Cause: The E-515A exchanger on the No.2 Light Ends Unit leaked hydrocarbon to a cooling tower. From the cooling tower the hydrocarbon was released to the atmosphere. Followup: No Notes: Remedial measures - The leaking tube on the exchanger will be plugged. In their letter to LDEQ, ExxonMobil states that LDEQ reportable quantities for propylene and butene were exceeded | 7.0 pounds |
| 85263 2006-01-19 | No. 2 Powerformer Unit T-4X | Cause: a leak on the shell of their tower (T-4X) is believed to have been caused from the failure of the mortar in the joints of the tile which lines the inside of the tower, which allowed acid to attack the carbon steel shel Followup: No Notes: Incidents 06-00380, 06-00401 occurred simultaneously on January 19th and on Jan. 20th 06-00406 occurred, overlapping with the first two. The reportable quantities for highly reactive volatile organic compounds and flammable vapors were exceeded when the emissions from these three events were summed over the first 24 hour period beginning with the initiation of the release from the No. 2 Powerformer Unit. With regard to the 24 hour period beginning with the release at the MTBE Unit, there wereeportable quantity exceedances for this period of time. The emissions limit exceeded the reportable quantity threshold only during the time when all three incidents were taking place simultaneously. The mortar in T-4X will be replaced with a Furan r | 4.0 pounds |
| 85270 2006-01-19 | #2 Light Ends Unit (E-568) | Cause: #2 Light Ends Unit experinenced a leak from their rebolier exchanger. The failure mechanism causing the leak in the exchanger is listed as unknown. Followup: No Notes: Incidents 06-00380, 06-00401 occurred simultaneously on January 19th and on Jan. 20th 06-00406 occurred, overlapping with the first two. The reportable quanitites for highly reactive volitile organic compounds and flamable vapors were exceeded whenthe emissions from these three events were summed over the first 24 hour period beginning with the initiantion of the rlease from the No. 2 Powerformer Unit. With regard to the 24 hour period beginning with the release at the MTBE Unit, there were nportable quanity exceedances for this period of time. The emissions limit exceeded the reportable quanitity threshold only during the time when all three incidents were taking place simultaneously. The mortar in T-4X will be replaced with a Furan re | 2.0 pounds |
| 95549 2007-04-22 | Flare/Safety valve release | Cause: leaking seal/safety valve release Followup: Yes Notes: Several actions were taken to avoid or reduce the environmental impacts from this incident. The different gas streams were redirected in a manner appropriate to minimize emissions. | 169.0 pounds |
| 107412 2008-07-19 | pinhole leak on line | Cause: Pinhole leak was discovered in a line. Followup: No Notes: At the time, they were trying to divert the flow from where the leak was. | |
| 106980 2008-07-07 | Cause: A heat exchanger was leaking into cooling water. The leak is suspected to be release a volume of gases that exceed the RQ. Followup: No Notes: The plan was to isolate the exchanger and stop the leak. | 100.0 pounds | |
| 102960/102918 2008-02-08 | FLARE-Flare 5,17,19 | Cause: Process Upset-recycle gas compressor shut down due to process upset./Other-high pressure in the refinery gas collection system due too a high volume of vent gas from other refinery units. Followup: No Notes: Process upset conditions at the catalytic cracking unit were resolved and recycle gas compressor was restarted to stop flaring. When the high pressure burner line overpressured, efforts were made to reduce the amount of gas sent to HPBL and increase gas amount taken by Enterg | 6.0 pounds |
| 102274 2008-01-15 | no information given/leak no informaiton given/leak | Cause: no information given Followup: No Notes: Written notification from Exxon Mobile surrounding the leak that occurred at the facility stating that no reportable quantities had been exceeded. | 3.0 pounds |
| 119856 2009-12-04 | T2-61A | Cause: Pump seal leak on T2-61A. Followup: No Notes: LDEQ report states "propylene, ethylene, H2S and benzene expected to exceed reportable quantities. ExxonMobil in its report states that reportable quantities were not exceeded. Isolated the leak. | |
| 116294 2009-07-07 | flare system | Cause: Safety valve lifted in the plant which caused 6 different flares to ignite. Followup: No Notes: This release estimate exceeds RQs. The incident was secured. LABB only has access to the SPOC verbal report, and all of these quantities are the initial estimates. | 100.0 pounds |
| 114479 2009-04-27 | FLARE | Cause: Flaring occurred when compressor tripped off line. Followup: No Notes: RQ not exceeded. Restarted compressor. No LDEQ report or follow up. | |
| 120883 2010-01-20 | #12 de-propanizer | Cause: Leak on a 3/4" pipeline at the #12 depropanizer. Instrument from feed drum leaking at elbow of line. Followup: No Notes: Release is BRQ. Line isolated and secured. LABB only has access to the LDEQ incident report. | |
| 138524 2012-03-30 | Cooling tower #32 | Cause: Sample results indicated a release to cooling tower #32. The initial test results that indicated possible releases were later found to be erroneous, and there was no release to the cooling tower. Followup: No Notes: The refinery letter states that the initial test results were erroneously high, and there was no release to the cooling tower. | |
| 137359 2012-02-18 | FLARE: Flare #7 | Cause: Excessive rainfall caused an electrical ground fault to occur with some of the compressor's control instrumentation causing the three compressors to shut down. excesses gases were released to the flares. Followup: No Notes: Air monitoring occurred and eventually two of the three compressors were brought back on-line and flaring ceased. There is no refinery Incident report and no SPOC report attached to this file. | 112.0 pounds |
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