LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / June 14, 2000

NORCO – A small explosion and fire at Orion Refining Co., left no injuries butplenty of questions as to its cause.

Orion’s president and chief executive officer, Glenn McGinnis, said a leak in the distillate hydrotreater released superheated diesel fuel, which ignited upon reaching the air.

The diesel, heated to 600 degrees, was having sulfur extracted from it as part of Orion’s refining operation when the explosion occurred at 5:45 p.m.The plant has been in low-grade operation for two years and is preparing to start full operation with its new catalytic converter next month.

McGinnis said the three employees who work that specific unit were quickly accounted for and contract employees had left the area 15-30 minutes earlier.

The employees depressurized the diesel line while black plumes of smoke erupted into the air, mostly containing hydrocarbon soot and steam. Oncethe line was depressurized the refinery’s firefighters were able to quickly bring the fire under control.

By 6:45 p.m. virtually all the black smoke from the sky over Orion’s refineryhad dispersed.

At about the same time, an abandoned overhead pipe which crossed Prospect Avenue developed a small leak when a plug blew out and sprayed traces of residue oil on the roadway. The cleanup on the roadway, plus the firefightingefforts, kept the road closed into Tuesday.

McGinnis, who lives in Ormond, was immediately notified at home and returned to the scene in minutes. “The first thing I had to know was ifanyone was hurt,” he said.

The St. Charles Parish Emergency Operations Center, the Louisiana StatePolice and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality were all notified within minutes, McGinnis added.

McGinnis said Tuesday the agencies were very satisfied with Orion’s response to the emergency.

McGinnis added the fire itself was brought under control in about an hour, but a controlled fire continued into Tuesday, under tight supervision, so the line could be cleared of residue by burning it off.

Neighboring Motiva refinery, where a catalytic cracker exploded disastrously in 1988, was also immediately notified and, should extra manpower or foam be needed, was available through mutual aid agreements, McGinnis added.

In addition, the Norco Volunteer Fire Department was on standby with manpower and equipment.

Once the controlled fire is out and cleanup is done, McGinnis said, a full investigation as to the explosion’s cause will be launched.

Orion’s “cat cracker” is in a completely separate part of the refinery and was not affected by Monday’s explosion and fire, McGinnis said. That unit isanticipated to start taking on feedstock by this weekend or early next week and an official start-up ceremony is being planned in July.

He concluded the explosion should not delay plans to start up the “cat cracker” unit.

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