Baytown chem plant fire will not impact production - ExxonMobil

07 August 2009 21:28  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--The small pipeline fire at the ExxonMobil complex in Baytown, Texas, occurred in the chemical olefins plant but there was no impact to production, the company said on Friday in a filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

In addition, air monitoring of the surrounding area revealed no detectable emissions violations, according to ExxonMobil spokeswoman Neely Nelson.

The fire took place on Thursday and was caused by a local utility power surge, which led to a minor pipeline fire, ExxonMobil said. The company did not specify which units the pipeline supplied.

“The power surge and subsequent stablisation of operations led to a controlled partial shutdown and startup of various units,” ExxonMobil said in the filing.

Baytown and ExxonMobil firefighters put the fire out, with one person sustaining minor burns, the company said.

The adjacent ExxonMobil Baytown refinery is the largest in the US, with a capacity of 572,500 bbl/day, according to news reports.

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By: Ben DuBose
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