Hello all, Here is an article, published by the "Galveston Daily News", that goes a little bit more in depth as to what the current "best guess" scenario is regarding the explosion at the bp/amoco plant, Texas City/Texas. One of the more disgusting things that I can report first hand, having just returned home from there myself, Tuesday morning, is that according to several friends of mine who still work for bp/amoco (btw - they all refer to the company as amoco, I don't remember ever hearing "bp" unless it was on the radio, or T.V.) from the instant this explosion occured, right through to whatever time you happen to be reading this post the rest of the refinery has been in full operation the entire time. One percentage I heard mentioned, which I have no way of personally verifying, was over 90%. That makes me physically ill. I realize that it's the DoE that's pushing these production numbers, but when your plant just rocked the richter scale in a part of the country that is not known for earthquakes...ever...doesn't it make sense to back off and check more than just the blast zone so that we aren't burying people here again sometime soon.
Antifossil ISOM unit component focus of investigation By TJ Aulds The Daily News Published March 27, 2005 TEXAS CITY — Investigators with the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board continued their on-scene inspection Saturday of what remains of the BP isomerization unit that exploded Wednesday, killing 15 and injuring more than 100. The independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents is now focusing its attention on a portion of the unit called a raffinate splitter. The splitter is a key component allowing for feedstock — the chemicals that are to processed in the octane-boosting unit — to be fed into the isomerization unit. The isomerization unit converts the feedstock chemicals pentane and hexane into isopentane and isohexane to boost the octane rating of gasoline. Pentane and hexane are both highly flammable. "Preliminary evidence points to a release of flammable liquid and vapor in that area of the plant," the CSB said via a press release late Saturday. "The distillation equipment was being restarted following maintenance work on the reactor a few days earlier." The board is also looking closely at the placement of a pair of trailers near the unit. Many of those killed in the blast were attending a meeting in those trailers at the time. Steve Selk, the manager of the CSB investigation, noted that unlike permanent buildings such as control rooms found throughout the plant, the trailers' inability to protect against flames and high heat was evident. "Process equipment within the explosion site shows substantial thermal damage and limited blast damage, consistent with a flash fire of flammable hydrocarbon in the open atmosphere," said Selk. "Trailers adjacent to the isomerization unit were very heavily damaged or destroyed. The walls and roof of an adjacent metal warehouse used to store catalyst were heavily damaged as well." Those trailers will be a factor of the investigation, a top CSB official added. "The placement of the trailers in close proximity to an operating refinery unit is one factor we will be focusing on as the investigation proceeds." CSB board member John Bresland said. He said the team would also be looking into company reports of a small fire in the isomerization unit the day before, but said there was not presently any evidence to link the fire with the explosion Wednesday afternoon. Three days after the fatal blast however, investigators had not yet reached the blast zone. CSB spokesman Sandy Gilmour said final site safety arrangements took place Saturday afternoon, in preparation for entry using protective clothing and gear. CSB team members have inspected the perimeter of the blast area. Investigators have also interviewed more of the plant operators who were on duty at the time of accident Gilmour said. Investigators also inspected homes near the refinery that sustained damage as a result of the blast. Gilmour said the investigators will take the Easter Sunday holiday off as they prepare for additional investigators to arrive Monday. <<snip>> _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://wwia.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable): http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/
