Environment & Safety
US appeals court rejects industry challenge to EPA ethanol blend decision
Trade groups representing the oil and auto industries had challenged the decision. Bob Greco, downstream director at the American Petroleum Institute, said it is "astounding that the court does not accept that refiners, who must comply with the ethanol mandate, have standing to bring this case."
Flash fire injures contractors at BP Indiana refinery
When the fire ignited, the three injured contractors were performing maintenance work on a 105,000 bpd hydrotreater, according to news agency Reuters. BP said the three contractors were in stable condition at a local hospital. Two were being treated for burns and one for smoke inhalation.
US safety board launches full investigation into Chevron refinery fire
A CSB team with seven investigators arrived at the refinery last Wednesday and has since been conducting witness interviews and reviewing documents at the site. Important issues include understanding why the pipe that later failed was kept in service during a late 2011 maintenance turnaround.
Chevron crude unit at fire-hit California refinery may be out six months
Investigators reportedly found serious damage in the cooling towers, pipe racks and heater tower. Some of the refinery’s secondary units are continuing to operate using feedstock stored at the site, but no decision has been made on whether Chevron will buy additional feed or shut the units during repairs.
HollyFrontier expects Tulsa refinery repairs to take six-to-eight weeks
Crude oil throughput at the 125,000 bpd refinery will be reduced by 30,000 to 40,000 bpd throughout the repair time, a company executive said Wednesday. The diesel hydrotreater unit, a unit that removes contaminants from the diesel stream, was shut on Aug. 2 after an early morning fire.
Safety board probes Chevron California refinery fire
The explosion and fire involved the release of vapor that found an ignition source, CSB said, citing Chevron officials. Four workers sustained minor injuries and thousands of residents were ordered to shelter in place.
Chevron partly running Richmond refinery after fire
Chevron said it was running most processing units. But how long and at what rate the company could keep making fuel at the 245,000 bpd plant was an open question, because Monday's fire damaged the plant's only crude distillation unit, a critical component of the fuel-making process.
Fire erupts at Chevron refinery near San Francisco, forces unit closures
In a Tuesday statement, Chevron said the main fire - which began at 6:15 p.m. local time on Monday - had been extinguished. All employees and contractors are safely accounted for, though three employees sustained minor injuries and were treated on site. Chevron has yet to speculate on the cause.
Enbridge to restart US oil pipeline after agreeing to safety measures
In approving the restart on Monday, the US Transportation Department said Enbridge had repaired its Line 14 pipeline and had agreed to future safety measures. Enbridge's pipeline leaked about 1,200 barrels of oil on July 27 near Grand Marsh, Wisconsin.
HollyFrontier assesses Tulsa refinery fire damage
A spokeswoman said the fire was in the Tulsa East facility's diesel hydrotreater, a unit that removes contaminants from the diesel stream. She said the fire was contained by the refinery's fire staff and is now out. She declined to say whether the refinery was still operating, however.
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