Explosion and Fire at Texas City Chemical Plant

[i_dont_chat]

Channel 13, Houston, Texas, just reported a series of 4 explosions and a large fire at Amoco Chemical Company in Texas City -- I think it is called BP now.

My mother in TC felt 2 of the blasts. Plant is at Highway 146 and Texas Avenue.

[Cold Heat]

but I'm a smidge closer to that than you are, I'll wager.

I'll bet!

A mile should be safe.

[Dog Gone]

Those flames are huge. An eyewitness from five miles away said he could see flames at first but can't see them now.

Well, they still appear to be a hundred feet high to me.

[eastforker]

The main part of the fire looks like it is at the end of a cooling tower, that has me a little baffled.

[Trinity_Tx]

5 days ago: FBI Warning (Threat to Texas Oil Refineries - no timeframe specified

[Cold Heat]

The towers are usually where the hottest and most volatile gasses are.

[rickylc]

How many of these will it take to push gas up to $10/gallon?

[jungleboy]

war on American soil...

[Cold Heat]

Losing just one is a real problem as far as supply.

At least a .25cent increase.IMO

[txhurl]

Damn.

[eastforker]

Naw, cooling towers are usually away from the hottest part of proccessing,they circulate the water used in the exchangers and cool it down, could be a real close built unit though, I never worked there, I don't know.

[oceanview]

how long before the first media report of: "not terrorism related".

[Dog Gone]

This wasn't a refinery. It made stuff like polymers and plastics. Your car battery casing might have come from the stuff produced here.

[sarasmom]

Just damn.

[knak]

Explosion at BP Amoco in Texas City

08:09 PM CST on Tuesday, March 30, 2004

From 11 News Staff Reports

There have been at least four explosions and a fire at the BP AMOCO refinery on FM 519 E. in Texas City.

Emergency management officials have requested residents to shelter in place in Texas City and La Marque.

Multiple agencies have responded to the fire.

There are several roadblocks in the area.

Area residents say they felt it when the explosion happened.

There have been no reports of injuries.

[Cold Heat]

The exchangers are usually within a few hundred feet.

The pumps have to be progressively bigger as the distance increases.

At least that has been what I have seen.

[eastforker]

Well, we just got CAT III up at ExxonMobil in Baytown after an 8 week shutdown, that will help.

[i_dont_chat]

BP (British Petroleum) representative just reported on TV interview that it is furnace unit which is burning. This is a chemical plant, not a refinery.

[Palladin]

This event is not terrorism related.

(Go ahead...hit me!)

[Cold Heat]

It made stuff like polymers and plastics.

That is worse than a refinery.

Poisonous gasses! Deadly stuff.

[tubavil]

Shelter in place = visqueen & duct tape.