MissPhos fertilizer facility suffers gas leak

21 February 2008 15:23  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--US phosphate fertilizer producer Mississippi Phosphates (MissPhos) suffered a gas leak at its Pascagoula facility, the company said on Thursday.

 

It is understood the problem occurred at an already idled sulphuric acid plant, thus output had not been affected.

  

A converter on one of the two sulphuric acid plants at the diammonium phosphate (DAP) facility failed after a weld rupture near the top of the vessel, it added. The cause of the failure was unknown but an investigation was underway.

 

Process gases were released but air monitoring revealed no detectable gas concentration off site, with on-site levels below thresholds of concern.

 

Two people suffered minor burns but were later released after treatment.

 

All appropriate government authorities had been informed and representatives of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality were on site to assist the company.

 

The Pascagoula facility was already running at just under half of its 2,000 tonne/day capacity following boiler problems encountered at the end of January.

 

The plant's two 1,500 tonne/day sulphuric acid lines are used as a feedstock to produce DAP fertilizer.

By: Mike Nash
+44 20 8652 3214

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