Exxon Mobil Corp said it had reduced operating rates at its Baytown refinery in Texas after an explosion and a massive fire around 1.00 AM CDT (0700 GMT) on Thursday. According to the company, the fire occurred at the site’s hydrodesulfurization unit. According to Exxon’s regulatory filing, hours before the blaze, workers found a leak in a bypass line on the unit, which led to flaring. The workers lowered pressure on the leak location and carried out a repair to isolate the leak.
Exxon confirmed that the fire was extinguished by 9.30 AM CDT (1530 GMT), and air quality monitoring is ongoing at the site as a safety precaution. A company spokesperson said four people were injured during the incident and have received medical treatment. Meanwhile, the rest of the personnel have been accounted for.
The 3,400-acre Baytown complex was founded in 1919 and included a 584,000-bpd refinery and a chemical plant with a 1.5 million tons/year cracker and associated downstream units. It is the second-largest in the US, behind only Motiva’s 607,000 bpd refinery in Port Arthur, Texas.
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Published on December 24, 2021 10:03 AM (GMT+8)Last Updated on December 24, 2021 10:03 AM (GMT+8)
