Exxon fights fire at Baytown, Texas, petrochemical plant; 37 injured

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: Reuters

BAYTOWN, Texas (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp said it was fighting a fire that erupted on Wednesday at its Baytown, Texas, refining and chemical plant complex, injuring 37 workers and sending nearby residents indoors.

More than three dozen people were treated for minor burns, none requiring hospitalization, said plant manager Jason Duncan in an afternoon media briefing. The company was still working to shut down the olefins unit which processes propane and propylene - a plastics building block - and isolate the fuel keeping the fire burning, he said.

Duncan declined to comment on the fire's impact on production at Exxon's adjacent 560,500 barrels-per-day oil refinery. Two people familiar with its operations, however, said Exxon reduced some production at the refinery, which provides feedstocks to the unit that caught fire.

The fire, which was being fought by the company's employees, sent black smoke into the air over the complex in the Houston suburb. Firefighters and equipment from the city entered the plant at midday to assist, an official said.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/exxon-fights-fire-at-baytown-texas-petrochemical-plant-37-injured/ar-AAF8aQG?li=BBnb7Kz

[TexasTowelie]

1. I heard about the explosion about noon today.

At the time it was said that six people were injured.

[ROB-ROX]

2. SO Now The Cost Of Gas Goes Up In States That Do Not Use Texas Oil

This fire was bad, but the oil people look for any reason to drive the cost up. Every accident in Texas means th coast goes up in the country. These people look for accidents, wars, etc. to make the cost go up. I wonder how much "cost" saving by NOT doing maintenance may have been the cause of this accident? I pray that those injured by this accident are taken care of this RICH$ company........

[Igel]

3. First you have to find states that don't pull on Tx's refining capacity.

Or share markets with those who do.

After all, if a refinery in Texas goes down but provided some product to Virgina, which also draws on New Jersey's capacity, then Virginia will increase demand from Jersey. Then New York state (assuming it doesn't draw on Tx's capacity but does share New Jersey's output) will feel the effects of greater demand on their supply from NJ. Think of the supply network as a system of interlocking systems. Put pressure on any one and it'll affect numerous systems with no direct connection.

But this is one unit in one refinery. It'll be a small blip, and prices will increase more from anxiety on the spot market than from any shortage.

[rownesheck]

4. Baytown.

Should be renamed Refinerytown. Baytown sounds like there might be beautiful water there somewhere. All I see are smokestacks. Another town called Deer Park makes it sound like there may be cute animals running around a lush green area. Nope. All i see are gross storage tanks and other refinery related garbage.

I'm surprised we don't see more industrial accidents in these places.

[Firestorm49]

5. Texas sure does seem to have an inordinate amount of petrochemical fires.