REGULATORY · MARKET STRUCTURE · USA
Valero Shuts Port Arthur Refinery After Explosion
Change
Valero temporarily shut its 380,000-barrel-per-day Port Arthur refinery after an explosion and fire triggered by a process fluid release in Complex 2.
Why it matters
Valero executed a temporary shutdown of its Port Arthur refinery following an unforeseeable release of process fluid in Complex 2 that caused an ignition event, multiple unit upsets, an explosion, and a fire. The outage affected the refinery’s 47,000-bpd unit 243 diesel hydrotreater and forced broader unit shutdowns within the complex. Valero filed a notice with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality about the incident. No injuries were reported and no date has been set for restarting the refinery.
Implications
- · Removes 380,000 barrels per day of refining capacity at Port Arthur.
- · Affects operation of the 47,000-bpd unit 243 diesel hydrotreater and caused multiple process unit upsets.
- · Creates a regulatory disclosure record filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
- · No restart date has been set, leaving the duration of the capacity outage undetermined.
Who is affected
- · Operators
- · Compliance teams
Source
Topics
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