Fire on the Alkylation Reactor of a Refinery
A pipe failed, probably due to material failure, and the plant was automatically put in hot stand-by (feed and energy supply automatically cut out). The plant was gradually cooled down. After about half an hour, for reasons not yet clarified, a fire started at the outlet of the alkylation reactor. The fire was extinguished by intervention of the operators, plant fire brigade and local fire brigade. The fire water was collected in a basin and disposed of after treatment in the biological waste water treatment plant of the establishment. Ambient air monitoring revealed no presence of hazardous substances in the environment.The whole amount of flammable substances (hydrogen, methane, toluene and benzene) involved in the accident has been estimated in about 10000 kg (10 tonnes) but no data are available about their single amounts.
Event Date
July 8, 1989
Record Quality Indicator
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Cause Comments
The rupture of the pipe was probably due to material failure. No information are available about the development of the fire at the outlet of the alkylation reactor because when the Original Report was prepared material investigations were still in progress (and were never made available).
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
Reactor, pipe
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Pre-event Summary
A pipe failed, probably due to material failure
Consequences
Number of Injured Persons
1
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
A pipe failed, probably due to material failure.Inspection
Event Nature
Emergency Action
The emergency depressurization of the plant was activated. In order to minimize the amount of flammable substances involved, the isolation of various sections of the plant was carried out. Nitrogen purging of the system was carried out. The adjacent installations were protected by applying cooling water. The fire was extinguished by the intervention of operators, the plant fire brigade and the local fire brigade. The fire fighting water was collected in a basin and disposed for treatment in the biological waste-water treatment plant of the establishment. Ambient air monitoring inside the establishment revealed no presence of hazardous substances in the environment.
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References
G. Drogaris, Community documentation centre on industrial risk : major accident reporting system lessons learned from accidents notified
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Joint Research Centre, 1991, ISBN 9282622894.