Taiwan gas explosions kill 22, impact propylene supply

(updates with details throughout)

By Nurluqman Suratman

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Gas leaks triggered a series of massive explosions in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, late on Thursday, killing at least 22 people and injuring about 270, the National Fire Agency (NFA) said on Friday.

The NFA in a statement said it received reports of gas leaks from 20:46 hours Taiwan time (12:46 GMT) on Thursday, followed by multiple fires and deadly explosions that occurred just before midnight.

The casualties include four policemen and firefighters, it said, adding that the cause of the gas leaks has not been determined.

Local media reports cited Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu as saying that several petrochemical firms have pipelines built along the sewage system in Kaohsiung ‘s Cianjhen district.

Television footage showed scenes of destruction with ruptured roads and an overturned car, while some other footage showed fire and smoke bursting out of drains.

Local liquefied petroleum gas distributor Hsin-Kao Gas Co has cut gas supplies to about more about 23,000 customers as a safety precaution, according to the National Fire Agency.

Taiwan’s Economic Affairs Minister Chang Chia-chu was quoted by several media agencies as saying that the gas leak blasts, which rocked the city’s Cianjhen district, could be related to a propylene pipeline.

A source at state-owned CPC Corp said that the pipeline that exploded is not operated by the company, but for safety reasons the firm has halted propylene delivery to the Ta She Petrochemical Park in Kaohsiung, where several petrochemical plants are located.

Taiwan’s LCY Chemical on Friday morning shut both its polypropylene (PP) lines at Ta She as its propylene feedstock supply was diruspted following the gas blasts in Cianjhen.

CPC will resume pipeline supply once the cause of the explosion is clear, the CPC source said.

CPC’s operations at its integrated oil refining and petrochemical production facility in Kaohsiung has not been affected, according to a company spokesperson.

The complex can handle 200,000 bbl/day of crude and houses a 500,000 tonne/year cracker as well as various derivatives units, including an 80,000 tonne/year butadiene (BD) unit, according to ICIS data.

Taiwan Prosperity Chemical Corp (TPCC) and China Petrochemical Development Corp (CPDC) said their plant operations in Kaohsiung county have not been affected by the explosions.

CPDC operates a 240,000 tonne/year acrylonitrile (ACN) plant in the county.

“Operations at our acrylonitrile plant in Kaoshsiung have not been affected,” said a CPDC spokesperson.

TPCC’s plant at Linyuan, which can produce 360,000 tonnes/year of phenol and 220,000 tonnes/year of acetone, receives its feedstock via a separate pipeline network to that affected in Thursday’s explosions, according to a company source.

Elsewhere, a source close to Chang Chun Plastics said that the company’s phenol/acetone plant in Kaohsiung was operating normally. Chang Chun’s plant can produce 300,000 tonnes/year of phenol and 186,000 tonnes/year of acetone.

Meanwhile, a company source at Tasco Chemical said both their own and TPCC’s maleic anhydride (MA) plants in Kaohsiung were operating normally on Friday.

Tasco Chemical runs a 35,000 tonne/year MA plant while TPCC has a 80,000 tonne/year MA facility in Kaohsiung.

Taiwan Synthetic Rubber Corp’s (TSRC’s) 100,000 tonne/year styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and 60,000 tonne/year polybutadiene rubber (PBR) plant in Kaohsiung were also running normally on Friday.

Additional reporting by Felicia Loo, Yeow Pei Lin, Doreen Zhao, Judith Wang, Trisha Huang, Matthew Chong, Helen Yan, Ong Sheau Ling and Tahir Ikram

Read John Richardson and Malini Hariharan’s blog – Asian Chemical Connections