1. Introduction On the 23rd of March 23, 2005 a vapour cloud of combustible gas at the BP Texas City Refinery found an ignition source and the result was a major explosion. This explosion led to a series of other explosions killing 15 people and injuring more than 170 workers. The main reason for the explosion was an over pressurized distillation tower that was flooded with hydrocarbons. A highly flammable gasoline was released from a splitter tower and was eventually ignited by a nearby truck. This report will determine and discuss the causes of the accident. These obtained data is then analysed and recommendations is discussed in order to prevent potential future accidents/incidents. 2. Followed process The investigations regarding the accident lasted for over the course of 8 months. All …show more content…
This alarm did however go off but the second extra alarm fail to activate. The feed of the liquid was stopped at approximately 3:30 am and the level indicator showed that the liquid filled the bottom 10 feet (3 m) of the splitter tower. Since the indicator was not working properly the calculated liquid in the tower was actually at a height of 13 feet (3.96 m). Operators began circulating the liquid feed and adding even more liquid to the tower at 9:50 am. There was no flow out of the tower during this process. The valve that control the liquid flow out of the tower was left closed. At 10:00 am the operators lit the burners on the furnace to start heating up the feed, which was part of the normal process of the refinery. Still the tower filled with liquid rapidly. The liquid hydrocarbons were more than 20 times its normal level. The result was that the tower was filled to a height of 138 feet (42 m) while the faulty indicator at the bottom of the tower informed the operators that the liquid was still below 10 feet (3 m). At 12:40 pm a high-pressure alarm was activated in the control room. Two of the burners were switched off in the furnace to cool down the