Texas Chemical Plant Explosion - Enterprise Products

Texas Chemical Plant Explosion - Enterprise Products
Breaking News

February 8, 2011

Fire follows explosion; 3 workers unaccounted for...

MONT BELVIEU, Texas — An explosion and fire ripped through a Houston-area chemical plant, leaving thee people unaccounted for Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
Explosions were heard about 12:15 p.m. at Enterprise Products on Sun Oil Road in Mont Belvieu, about 35 miles east of Houston, NBC station KPRC reported.
Bright orange flames consumed a large part of the plant that produces octane-boosting gasoline additives. Thick black smoke filled the air as TV images showed flame-engulfed vehicles parked adjacent to the plant.
Mont Belvieu Mayor Nick Dixon told msnbc cable TV that flames could be seen for 7 miles.
Three people were unaccounted for at the plant, where 600 to 700 work, Dixon said.
The flames were not near homes, he said.
No evacuations or shelters were ordered, KPRC said.
Nearby streets were closed.

Houston-based Enterprise is one of the country's largest shippers and processors of natural gas in, including 49,100 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines.

Developing story, details to follow..

UPDATE 02/08/11

Exxon Mobil Corp's (XOM.N) Baytown, Texas, petrochemical complex has sustained only minimal impact from Tuesday's fire at the nearby Enterprise Products Partners (EPD.N) Mont Belvieu, Texas, natural gas liquids and petrochemical complex, a spokesman said.

"Our Baytown Complex - which includes both refinery and the various chemical facilities - is operational and all units are running with minimal impacts," said Exxon spokesman Kevin Allexon. "We continue to closely monitor and assess the situation."

Exxon's Baytown refinery is the largest in the United States at 560,640 barrels per day (bpd). Adjoining the refinery are a chemical plant and an olefins plant.

The Enterprise Products Mont Belvieu complex includes plants for processing natural gas liquids into chemicals, some which increase octane in gasoline.

A massive fire broke out early on Tuesday afternoon at a natural gas liquids storage area of the complex. Main production facilities were not affected by the blast, an Enterprise spokesman said on Tuesday.

One worker remained unaccounted for following the fire. There were no injuries reported due to the blast and ensuing fire, which was visible in Houston, 35 miles (56 min) west.

Rick Rainey, public relations director for Enterprise Products, said there are normally eight to 10 workers in the facility located 35 miles east of Houston. All the workers got out safely, he said.

"As of right now our main concern is to make sure that we get this thing contained," Rainey said.
Hours after the explosion, the plant, which processes and stores liquids that are separated from natural gas, continues to burn. Nothing that is burning is toxic, Rainey said.
Pipelines to the plant were shut down so no new flows come into the facility. But the liquids in the pipe are continuing to burn.

Rainey said the pipelines weren’t near capacity so the fire won’t burn as long as it might have at full capacity.

There are no plans to try to extinguish the fire. Instead, the plan is to focus on letting it burn and cooling the area around it.

One nearby school has been evacuated. The main area of the plant where most of the equipment was located has not been affected by the explosion and blaze.

The facility in Chambers County is a natural gas fractionation facility, where natural gas liquids are separated into different components before being put into storage or injected into pipelines. It has a capacity of about 305,000 barrels of natural gas liquids per day. Recently, it has become an important hub to oil and gas producers in South Texas’ Eagle Ford shale formation, where large quantities of natural gas liquids are being extracted and processed for usage by Gulf Coast petrochemical plants and other customers.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said the plant had recorded no major permit violations over the past five years.

A preliminary search of Occupational Safety and Health Administration data does not find any incidents reported on this Enterprise facility. In June 2005 a worker was killed at an Enterprise facility in Mirando City in South Texas near Nuevo Laredo when there was an unexpected release of pressurized flammable material from a production compressor.

Houston-based Enterprise is one of the country's largest shippers and processors of natural gas in, including 49,100 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines.

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OSHA cites roofing company following fatality at El Paso, Texas, worksite

OSHA cites roofing company following fatality at El Paso, Texas, worksite
OSHA Press Release, January 25, 2011

US Department of Labor's OSHA cites roofing company
following fatality at El Paso, Texas, worksite
Third El Paso roofing incident cited by OSHA within a year

EL PASO, Texas – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Spray Polyurethane Foam with five alleged serious and one other-than-serious violation for failing to provide fall protection resulting from an investigation into a fatality at the company's worksite in El Paso.

OSHA's El Paso Area Office initiated the investigation on Aug. 25, 2010, following a report that an employee fell almost 30 feet through the roof and died at the company's worksite at 9600 Plaza Circle. The investigation found that the roof of the facility did not have the required strength and structural integrity for repair work to be performed.

The serious violations include failing to determine if the roof had sufficient structural integrity for making roof repairs, provide employees with fall protection systems and/or personal fall arrest systems, and provide training for employees exposed to possible fall hazards. A serious violation is one in which there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

An other-than-serious violation was issued for failing to contact OSHA within eight hours to report the fatality. An other-than-serious violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

Proposed penalties for the serious and other-than-serious violations total $8,700.

In October 2010, an employee of another company in El Paso, Empire Roofing, fell through a skylight while making roof repairs. In May 2010, a worker employed by Parsons Roofing in El Paso fell through a roof while repairing roof decking that was rotted and had not been inspected for strength and structural integrity. In both incidents, employees sustained severe injuries while performing roofing repair work.

"Falls are one of the most common and well-known hazards at a worksite, and can injure or kill a worker in a matter of seconds," said Jack Rector, OSHA's area director in El Paso. "OSHA is dedicated to providing a safe and healthful workplace. All three incidents could have been avoided had the employees been provided with fall protection and training."

Detailed information about fall hazards and safeguards is available on OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/construction.html.

Spray Polyurethane Foam has 15 business days from receipt of citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in El Paso or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Employers and employees with questions about workplace safety and health standards can call OSHA's El Paso Area Office at 915-534-6151 or the agency's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) to report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/.

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