User:GhostRiver/refinery
 The boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion, as seen from across the Schuylkill River | |
  PES Refinery PES Refinery (Philadelphia) | |
| Date | June 21, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Time | 4:00 a.m. (EDT) |
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 39°54′11.4″N 75°12′32.2″W / 39.903167°N 75.208944°W |
| Type | Gas explosion |
| Cause | Ruptured alkylation unit |
| Non-fatal injuries | 5 |
| Property damage | $750 million |
Early in the morning of June 21, 2019, an alkylation unit at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) refinery ruptured, releasing a vapor cloud that ignited, creating a fire and three explosions.
Background
[edit]Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery
[edit]The Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) Refining Complex was comprised of two oil refineries in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: one in Point Breeze and the other at Girard Point. The Point Breeze refinery began operations in 1870 under the Atlantic Refining Company, while Gulf Oil opened the Girard Point location in 1920.[1] Both locations underwent a series of sales and purchases throughout their history.[2] Sunoco purchased the Point Breeze refinery in 1988 and the Girard Point refinery in 1994, consolidating the two locations into a single operation called the Philadelphia refinery.[3]
Alkylation and hydrofluoric acid
[edit]Explosion
[edit]Response
[edit]Investigation
[edit]Aftermath
[edit]A report from Marsh JLT Specialty estimated that the explosion resulted in $750 million in property damage, the third-largest refinery loss to occur worldwide since 1974.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ CSB 2022, p. 10.
- ^ Simeone 2018, p. 8.
- ^ Quivic 2015, p. 290.
- ^ CSB 2022, p. 6.
Bibliography
[edit]- Fire and Explosions at Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refinery Hydrofluoric Acid Alkylation Unit (Report). U.S. Chemical Safety Board. October 11, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- 100 Largest Losses in the Hydrocarbon Industry, 1974-2019 (Report). Marsh JLT Specialty. March 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- Quivik, Fredric L. (October 2015). "Abundance, Dependence, and Trauma at Philadelphia's Point Breeze Petroleum Refinery: A Mirror on the History of Pennsylvania's Oil Industry". The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. 139 (3): 265–292. doi:10.5215/pennmaghistbio.139.3.0265. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- Simeone, Christina (September 20, 2018). Beyond Bankruptcy: The Outlook for Philadelphia's Neighborhood Refinery (Report). Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. Retrieved November 9, 2024.