A Major DisasterPetroleum & Petrochemical Disasters

2014Introduction:Many disasters occurred in the petroleum and the petrochemical industry in the past few years, such as release of toxic materials or fires and explosions.

In 1984 a very toxic material (Methyl Isocyanate) was released from an underground tank at Union Carbide plant at Bhopal in India killing 2000 persons immediately and injured thousands others.

Many other disasters occurring each year killing hundreds and injuring other hundreds and costing hundreds of millions of dollars losses.

• Flixborough - UK 1974:

At about 16:53 hours on Saturday 1 June 1974 the Nypro (UK) site at Flixborough was severely damaged by a large explosion. Twenty-eight workers were killed and a further 36 suffered injuries. It is recognized that the number of casualties would have been more if the incident had occurred on a weekday, as the main office block was not occupied. Offsite consequences resulted in fifty-three reported injuries. Property in the surrounding area was

damaged to a varying degree.

Prior to the explosion, on 27 March 1974, it was discovered that a vertical crack in reactor No.5 was leaking cyclohexane. The plant was subsequently shutdown for an investigation. The investigation that followed identified a serious problem with the reactor and the decision was taken to remove it and install a bypass assembly to connect reactors No.4 and No.6 so that the plant could continue production.

• Bhopal Release of Methyl Isocyanate: A plant in Bhopal, India, producing pesticides using methyl isocyanate (MIC) as an intermediate compound. MIC is an extremely dangerous compound

that severely irritate the nose and throut causing respiratory distress.

On 3 December, 1984, an estimated 25 tons of MIC vapor was released. The toxic cloud spread over a shantytown nearby, killing 2,000 and injuring a further 20,000, making it as on of the most significant disasters in the history of the chemical industry.

• Poly Ethylene Plant Explosion at Pasadena, USA. • What happened:

23 People killed & between130-300 people

injured in massive vapor cloud explosion.

When:

At 1:00 p.m. on the 23rd October 1989.

Where:

Phillips’ 66 chemical complex at Pasadena, near Houston (USA) Poly Ethylene unit.

• BP – Texas Refinery 2005:

• T2 Fire & Explosion 2007: The massive December 2007 explosion and fire at T2 Laboratories in Jacksonville was caused by a runaway chemical reaction that likely resulted from an inadequate reactor cooling system.

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