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 Faulty
pipe blamed for refinery explosion
USA -- A fire
broke out at the Holly Refinery in Woods Cross due to a chemical explosion.
An explosion
rattled residents near a Davis County refinery Wednesday night when a cracked
gas line burst into flames, sending thick black smoke into the air.
The
pipe failure is being blamed for the explosion and company officials say it was
a pipe that was already earmarked to be replaced.
Just before 9
p.m., a crack in one of the pressure release lines resulted in a leak and
explosion that sent a fireball into the sky. It was a pipe in which the company
already had discovered a small flaw the day before, said company spokesman Mike
Astin.
"It was a pipe
that we were scheduled to replace this summer," he said.
“That
line ruptured, so the gases in that line escaped, ignited, causing an explosion
and then a fire,” said a fire official.
 Nearby
residents felt the blast and rushed to see what had happened. Vanner Johnson
caught the first few moments of the fire on tape.
“The fire is
raging. I came down a few minutes ago and there was nothing and now it looks
like the whole place is just on fire,” said Johnson.
The South
Davis Metro Fire Agency worked with the refinery brigade to douse the flames.
But crews had to let the fire burn for some time.
“Instead of
trying to get out and do anything, the best thing to do is contain it, put water
on it and let the gas escape and burn out,” said a fire official.
Even with all
the escaping gas, there were no evacuations. Officials say the air is safe for
residents.
“The nice
thing about it, I guess if there is a nice thing about this hydrofluoric, is
that it does, during the burning process, it does change it to where it is not a
problem,” the official said.
Once the crack
was discovered, plans were made to move up the repair schedule and replace it
Thursday morning. The company was already in the process of shutting down that
unit, Astin said, but the crack apparently grew faster than anticipated.
"It didn't get
shut down or repaired before it opened up," he said. "We do periodic maintenance
at the plant. We knew we needed to replace it. We were watching it."
The refinery also
has suffered two power outages within the last week, which could have placed
additional pressure on the system and accelerated the weakening of the pipe,
said South Davis Metro Fire Chief Jim Rampton.
The
line was completely isolated by 2 a.m. Thursday, Astin said. That unit, which
helps make high-grade gasoline, was expected to remain shut down for at least a
week as the company explored repair and replacement options. But the remaining
blend stocks were still in operation Thursday, Astin said.
It will cost an
estimated $375,000 to replace the line, he said, but it was money for which the
company already had budgeted and was planning to spend in the summer to replace
it.
A fire hose was
already in position as a precaution prior to Wednesday's explosion because of
the crack. Astin believes safety precautions and procedures put in place by the
refinery, and the good work of the South Davis Metro Fire Department, prevented
the situation from being worse.
"All the safety
systems worked just like they were supposed to," he said.
The only reported
injury was a worker who fell off a truck due to the force of the blast. The man
was treated for minor injuries
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