LA Bucket Brigade : Refinery Accident Database

About the Database

Phillips 66 (2418), Belle Chasse

Releases in 2010

LDEQ Accident Number Accident Date	Point Source/Release	Cause	Notes
126678 2010-09-24	Point Source(s): 308F-D-1 (low pressure flare) and various process heaters Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - 26,236 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide - 76 pounds Nitrogen Oxide - 7 pounds Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - 70 pounds	Cause of Problem: Maintenance/Procedures During maintenance activities, "amine stripper vessel experienced unexpected level swings" and "SRU (sulfur recovery unit) waste heat boiler unexpectedly tripped offline due to its flame scanner no longer detecting a flame at the burner. Several attempts that were made to re-light the burner were unsuccessful due to igniter malfunction" -- had to flare excess.	"Routed acid gas feed stream to the LP flare and immediately implemented the sulfur shedding plan...root cause investigation has been initiated." Detailed refinery letter only in this file. No LDEQ Report.
126166 2010-09-06	Point Source(s): SRU incinerator Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - 146,565 pounds	Cause of Problem: Maintenance/Procedures Emissions due to scheduled maintenance on Tail Gas Treater.	"The FCC (fluid catalytic cracking) unit was taken offline prior to the TGT shutting down in a controlled manner."
126043 2010-08-30	Point Source(s): low pressure flare Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - 81 pounds	Cause of Problem: Maintenance/Procedures Controlled flaring for inspection and maintenance--remaining gases from the Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Unit's recovery section routed to the Low Pressure Flare while shutting down several refinery units	none--planned flaring
125632 2010-08-13	Point Source(s): Alkylation Unit Isobutane recycle line Pollutant(s): Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - 315 pounds Hydrogen Flouride - 3 pounds	Cause of Problem: Piping or Tubing LDEQ report states, "Isobutane leak. There is a pinhole leak in the alkyl unit. The leak could only be seen after temperatures dropped and condensate was visible." Incident report states, "preliminary inspection found that the leak had occurred in a weld on the recycle line. Because the weld failure mechanism is unknown and would require further metallurgical testing."	Incident report states, "it was decided that the entire Isobutane recycle line shall be replaced with new pipe before starting up the Alkylation Unit."
124556 2010-06-30	Point Source(s): FLARE: Sulfur package Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - 838 pounds	Cause of Problem: Human Factors Refinery stated that "the root cause of this incident was due to sour gas not being transferred from the flare to the Sulfur Package in a timely matter..." The root cause analysis provided by ConocoPhillips determined that this incident was due to careless operation by personnel.	RQ. LDEQ report states, "this is an area of concern with emission point 308F-D-1 (Low Pressure Flare) of the facility's permit, Permit No.2779-V2.LAC 33:III.905.A: Failure to maintain air pollution control facilities."
124328 2010-06-19	Point Source(s): FCCU Flue generator bypass stack (301-D-3) Pollutant(s): Carbon Monoxide - 7,318 pounds	Cause of Problem: Under Investigation LDEQ report states "the release of Carbon Monoxide and Sulfur Dioxide into the atmosphere from the FCC Regenerator Flue Bypass Stack. As of 2/24/2011, the only follow up notification to LDEQ, dated 7/16/2010, still indicated that an investigation was pending to determine the root cause of the release..."	RQ: Realease of CO was exceeded the reportable quantity. Investigation is ongoing. LDEQ report states, "A written request to the facility on 2/21/2011 yielded no additional information. The facility will be referred to the Circuit Rider Review process for failure to submit an updated notification within 60 days of the 7/16/2010 follow up letter as required by LAC 33:I.3925.A.3."
124024 2010-06-07	Point Source(s): Butane Divert Line Pollutant(s): Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - BRQ	Cause of Problem: Piping or Tubing A pinhole leak was discovered on the 6 inch elbow of the Alkylation Unit's butane divert line.	BRQ. A water spray was applied to the leak. Nitrogen was routed into the out of service station of piping to clear the process hydrocarbon out of the leaking section of piping and prevent any further process hydrocarbons from leaking out. A clamp was installed afterwards, once nitrogen became the only chemical being released from the leak. Air monitoring was performed throughout the event, and the clamp was monitored to ensure that nothing was leaking.
123980 2010-06-05	Point Source(s): low pressure flare Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - 445 pounds	Cause of Problem: Equipment Failure "the Crude Unit's Vacuum Tower experienced a flooded liquid condition which caused its overhead pressure control valve to open to the Low Pressure Flare. The cause of this condistion seems to be the Vacuum Tower's Bottoms section was experiencing unexpected problems achieving adequate flow of its product stream to the Coker Unit."	"the Tower bottoms product stream was eventually routed back to Crude Tankage until the conditions in the lower half of the Vacuum Tower stabilized and the flaring stopped."
123185 2010-05-02	Point Source(s): Cooling water exchanger & Coker compressor (891-K-1), Low-pressure flare (308F-D-1) Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - 8,175 pounds Hydrocarbon - 533 pounds Hydrogen Sulfide - 83 pounds Nitrogen Oxide - 53 pounds	Cause of Problem: Equipment Failure Report states that the release occurred as a result of a breaker trip in the Coker Compressor. Which seems to have originated within the compressor's motor.	RQ. Reportable quantity for sulfur dioxide was exceeded. LDEQ report states that "The facility will be referred to the Circuit Rider Review process for failure to submit an updated notification within 60 days of the initial 7 day letter as required by LAC 33:I.3925.A.3." An investigation is in process to determine the cause of the electrical breaker trip after which, corrective actions will be implemented.
122186 2010-03-21	Point Source(s): bleeder line (412-FF) Pollutant(s): Benzene - 5,040 gallons	Cause of Problem: Human Factors LDEQ report states, "a spill of 160 bbls of Benzene to the ground inside the perimeter of the facility. The Benzene was released from an open bleeder line as a result of operator error." Report states that benzene spilled into storm sewer system sump, but that all samples were non-detect for benzene and no permit limits were exceeded.	RQ: The amount of liquid benzene product released exceeded reportable quantities. The facility states that it took corrective actions as soon as the release was discovered. Improved employee training, procedures and storage tank monitoring capabilities. However, the facility failed to submit a timely, updated notification within 60 days of the initial follow up letter. Because this release was preventable under LAC 33.III.501.C.4, the facility will be referred to the Circuit Rider Review process. Follow-up reports were dated 7/9/10 and 7/21/10.
122118 2010-03-13	Point Source(s): no information given Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - BRQ	Cause of Problem: Process Upset "process unit upset caused to go to flare"	DEQ report only in this file; no refinery letter.
121397 2010-02-09	Point Source(s): benzene line leak (412-FF) Pollutant(s): Benzene - 59 pounds	Cause of Problem: Maintenance/Procedures leak developed at a pipe rack support beam for the benzene dock line during annual pressure test procedure--10 gal/59lbs spilled--reportable quantity exceeded	RQ. Two gallons recovered by vacuum truck, eight evaporated, air monitoring at perimeter
121257 2010-02-04	Point Source(s): 891-V-11A Coke Pot Valve FLARE: Low Pressure Flare (308-F-D-1) & 891-V-11A Coke Pot Valve Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - 659 pounds Sulfur Dioxide - 1,242 pounds Hydrocarbon - 19,866 gallons	Cause of Problem: Human Factors Release notification form states that, during the Fractionator Tower Coke Pot, the unit operator improperly operated the Coke Pot's valves. This allowed hot, tar-like hydrocarbon material into the unit sewer, which caused a fire at the Coke Pots. FIRE.	RQ. The Coker Unit was shutdown in an emergency fashion while the fire was controlled and extinguished by the refinery's in-house fire brigade. Disciplinary actions were taken towards the operator and the supervisor of the Coker Unit for not following established procedures. The Coke Pot procedure was enhanced by adding another layer of protection via the requirement to physically lock "closed" the Coke Pot valves prior to unlocking the drain valves.
121132 2010-01-11	Point Source(s): low pressure flare (308F-D-1) Pollutant(s): Sulfur Dioxide - 218 pounds	Cause of Problem: Maintenance/Procedures Coker compressor went into recycle mode during shutdown for scheduled maintenance. Suction drum pressure increased causing flare valve to open. Stream diverted to Low Pressure Flare.	flare valve closed upon complete shutdown of the compressor; monitoring at refinery perimeter
120517 2010-01-04	Point Source(s): Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit Pollutant(s): Carbon Monoxide - 298 pounds	Cause of Problem: Under Investigation Loss of air blower as a result of an "unexpected electrical signal" caused the shut down of FCC Unit. Shut-down caused shedding of FCC gas streams until unit was back on-line.	Personnel troubleshooted trip alarms that caused FCC unit to go offline and restarted FCC.