LA Bucket Brigade : Refinery Accident Database

About the Database

Phillips 66 (2418), Belle Chasse

Releases in 2005

LDEQ Accident Number Accident Date	Point Source/Release	Cause	Notes
81757 2005-08-27	Point Source(s): 412-A-FF, 308W-FF Pollutant(s): Asbestos - 1 pounds Oil - 48,300 gallons Flammable Gas - 209 pounds	Cause of Problem: Weather Hurricane Katrina caused flooding to the electrical system rendering it useless disallowing it regulate the Propane Sphere Compressor System. Causing the pressure in the tanks to reach unstable highs. To remedy the problem the propane from one propane sphere to the other (T-550 to T-551) releasing all the propane vapor from T-550 to be released.	To preven sphere's PSV's from relieving to atmosphere-- both spheres are manually vented to keep pressure below PSV relief setting. Initial assessment is the propane pressure control may not be functinal for 30-60 days. Propane sphere pressure control venting was greatly reduced when one of the refinery's steam generating units was re-lit.
81202 2005-08-12	Point Source(s): Chevron Texaco Bridgeline Pipeline Pollutant(s): Propylene - 102 pounds	Cause of Problem: Seal or Gasket During product switch from Propane to Propylene the level gauge gasket on the seal pot of the 411 L 95 C pump failed.	Pump was shut down and isolated and repaired.
80942 2005-08-02	Point Source(s): 308F-D-2 High pressure flare Pollutant(s): Nitrogen Oxide - 20 pounds	Cause of Problem: Weather An unusually severe thunderstorm caused an upset in the unit 491 Depropanizer Tower	The level of NOX exceeded that of a reportable level. The 43 minutes included two seperate times of the day including 19 minutes and 24 minutes). They also claimed corrective actions will be implemented.
80826 2005-07-29	Point Source(s): 308F-D-1 Low pressure flare Pollutant(s): Hydrocarbon - 215 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide - 7 pounds Nitrogen Oxide - 23 pounds Sulfur Dioxide - 653 pounds	Cause of Problem: Equipment Failure The liquid/gas pressure relay on transformer XFR 5CE at electrical substation 5C unexpectedly tripped breaker VCB 3CG.	Claimed preventative maintenance could have been used, but the failure was unforeseeable. The level of SO2 exceeded that of a reportable level.
80736 2005-07-25	Point Source(s): Low Pressure Flare Pollutant(s): Hydrocarbon - 119 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide - 3 pounds Sulfur Dioxide - 251 pounds Nitrogen Oxide - 8 pounds	Cause of Problem: Human Factors A contractor came into contact with the instrument air supply line for the FCC Unit's K-2A Supplemental compressor. This caused the lines to separate and for air to leak.	It was immediately repaired and they claimed to go over similar air supplies.
80306 2005-07-05	Point Source(s): FCC Unit #1291 Pollutant(s): Carbon Monoxide - 952 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide - 2 pounds Nitrogen Dioxide - 3 pounds Sulfur Dioxide - 314 pounds	Cause of Problem: Instrument Failure The FCC Unit #1291 system tripped off-line due to a false airflow alarm.	They claimed they restarted it and it is now safe and secure.
80112 2005-06-26	Point Source(s): Saturate Gas Unit (7991-PSV-18) Pollutant(s): Butane - 91 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide - 90 pounds Propane - 8,881 pounds	Cause of Problem: Instrument Failure Pressure control valve BPC-244 malfunctioned gave a false signal of being open when actually in the closed position. This caused the pressure relief valve 7991-PSV-18 to lift for 5 minutes.	Assured they would operate this at a Òlow pressureÓ pending findings of the investigation.
79636 2005-06-07	Point Source(s): X-4 and X-5 exchangers in the coke fractioner Pollutant(s): Nitrogen Oxide - 9 pounds Sulfur Dioxide - 317 pounds	Cause of Problem: Instrument Failure The compressor second state knockout drum received a high level alarm. Inadequate cooling of verhead vapors at the X-4 and X-5 exchangers in the coke fractioner caused the 891-K-1 compressor to trip offline	They claimed they changed operational procedures and the compressor was restarted.
78926 2005-05-10	Point Source(s): Texaco Pipelines LLC AL02 Liquid meter station at ConocoPhillips Pollutant(s): Propylene - 754 pounds	Cause of Problem: Power Failure A power failure at CP caused an automatic shut down causing a 1inch relef valve to release propylene.	Installed thermal relief on the pipeline
78925 2005-05-10	Point Source(s): (308F-D-1) Low Pressure Flare; (308F-D-2) High Pressure Flare; (301-D-3) CO Bypass Stack; (591-D-21X) SRU Incinerator Pollutant(s): Benzene - 216 pounds Carbon Monoxide - 38,536 pounds Hydrocarbon - 17,590 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide - 413 pounds Nitrogen Oxide - 668 pounds Sulfur Dioxide - 47,071 pounds	Cause of Problem: Power Failure Entergy experienced a ground fault and the backup supply failed to switch in a timely manner. Forced most process units to shutdown resulting in flaring and venting of CO. Two pressure valves relieved to the atmosphere.	With most of the process units down, there was isufficient feed to keep the SRU tail gas treater online. The tail gas from SRU 591 was routed directly to the SRU incinerator until other refinery process units restarted to provide sufficient feed to support stable TGT operation. There was some smoking form the flares.
78696 2005-05-02	Point Source(s): Low Pressure Flare Pollutant(s): Nitrogen Dioxide - 9 pounds Sulfur Dioxide - 189 pounds	Cause of Problem: Instrument Failure The inlet temperature signal increased unexpectedly at the suction drum and the recycle flow rate increased causing the compressor to trip off line due to a high amperage reading fromt eh compressor's motor.	Operational changes were made immediately to correct the temperature signal at the suction drum and the compressor was restarted.
77930 2005-03-31	Point Source(s): 100-PSV-5B on 100-T-205 Pollutant(s): Hydrocarbon - 320 pounds Nitrogen - 517 pounds	Cause of Problem: Instrument Failure The pressure transmitter malfunctioned and showed no further increase as the level of the sphere increased.	None
77459 2005-03-08	Point Source(s): Saturated Gas processor 7991 -K-1 Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - 408 pounds	Cause of Problem: Equipment Failure Saturated Gas processor 7991 -K-1 tripped off line due to a mechanical trip failure of compressor metal end blades.	None
77241 2005-02-28	Point Source(s): Saturated Gas plant 7991 -V-1 Pollutant(s): Benzene - 345 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide - 566 pounds Volatile Organic Compounds - 16,789 pounds	Cause of Problem: Instrument Failure The signal to the 7991-V-1 straight run Debutinizer Bottoms level controller stopped transmitting it's signal from the field of the distributed control system	After inspection a set of wires appeared to be frayed. They sent a group of employees to fix the frayed wires.
77262 2005-02-28	Point Source(s): Off site gasoline bulk tank Pollutant(s): Hydrocarbon - 210 gallons	Cause of Problem: Human Factors Operator did not block in bulk tank gasoline fill valve and gasoline spilled out of bulk tank because of this	It was above the air quality limit of no more than one barrel of hydrocarbon spilled in the ground. It is still under investigation. In the clean up they took 15 barrels of hydrocarbon and satnding water.
76389 2005-01-23	Point Source(s): 301-D-3 FCC Generator Flue Gas Bypass Stack;308F-D-2 High pressure flare Pollutant(s): Carbon Monoxide - 20,645 pounds Hydrocarbon - 846 pounds Sulfur Dioxide - 5,016 pounds	Cause of Problem: Equipment Failure FCC regenerator flu gas expander, 1291-k-1 tripped offline due to a mechanical failure causing an emergency shutdown of the FCC Unit	They claimed preventative maintenance is possible, but just the regenerator failing was unforeseeable.
75953 2005-01-03	Point Source(s): 592-X-1 Heat exchanger Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - 390 pounds	Cause of Problem: Equipment Failure There was a small leak in the 592-X-1 heat exchanger which caused the temperature to drop which in turn made there no proper control for the sulfur conversion at the 592 unit.	It was below the RQ standard of SO.