Valero is investigating the cause of a Thursday explosion at its 225,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Texas City, Texas.
No one was hurt and the fire was quickly contained. The blaze, according to the Texas City Emergency Management department burned light hydrocarbons and was contained in about 90 minutes.
The fire happened at a 12,000-bpd alkylation unit and it was unclear if other units were affected. Alkylation units convert refining by-products into high-octane components that are blended into gasoline.
Valero spokeswoman Lillian Riojas said the company was cooperating with local, state and federal agencies in responding to the fire, which was being fought by the refinery’s firefighting team.
Firefighting units from a neighboring Marathon Petroleum Corp refinery assisted with the fire as did units from Texas City.
The explosion was heard 5 miles away from the Valero refinery. Local media indicated it rocked buildings within a mile of the plant.
Such explosions are linked historically to Texas City, site of the deadliest such explosion in U.S. history. It was April 16, 1947 when a ship loaded with more than 2,000 tons of ammonium nitrate blew up. Other blasts on nearby ships and oil storage tanks occurred and the result was the deaths of 581 people.