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]

I think the facts will bear me out.

[placebo11]

FOX NEWS just reported it via fox news alert, no new information though

[Dog Gone]

I never indicated I was nervous. I was trying to answer the question with a description of the area.

[jpsb]

Life in the big city, stuff happens.

[lawgirl]

Hmm Texas City- isn't that the city that was basically burned to the ground in the 50s after a ship exploded in the harbor and set all the refineries on fire?

[Frank_Discussion]

April of 1947, actually.

[RBroadfoot]

There probably would be an effect on gasoline prices if it were the refinery. The BP Texas City refinery is one of the largest and most complex refineries on the planet.

However, the reports indicate that the explosion is in the chemical plant.

[GeronL]

Oh my. I just wrote about a terrorist attack on a Texas refinery 2 days ago in my fiction story

[Hatteras]

"The regular employees usually have great safety records -- it is the temporary employees who can get into trouble."

Yeah, especially when that temporary crew consists of 30 Middle Eastern males between the ages of 18 and 35 who only expressed interest in breaking down a refinery and not putting it back together...

[lawgirl]

Well close. I watched a thing on the History Channel about it and I don't think I'll ever forget it. From the footage, it looked like hell had come to earth.

I hope everyone is ok, and I hope this is not terrorist related.

[GalvestonGal.com]

http://www.galvnews.com/photos/2004.March/3-30bpfire-1.jpg

Alert downgraded in BP after furnace fire

From staff reports
The Daily News

Published March 30, 2004

TEXAS CITY — Public safety officials have lowered the threat from a furnace explosion and fire at BP petrochemical plant to Level 3, meaning that no danger was said to be posed to the outside community.

Officials canceled an earlier shelter-in-place order issued for Texas City and La Marque after the explosion, which occured at BP’s petrochemical plant on FM 519.

While there is no official word on what caused the explosion or what substances might be involved in the fire, the substance was described as a "high-end hydrocarbon." Residents are still advised to keep clear of the smoke plume, which may contain hydrocarbons.

BP officials told The Daily News a formal statement would be coming soon. Several roads around the city were still closed.

There were no reports of deaths or injuries so far, but some people living near the plant were ordered to evacuate their homes. Children attending school events Tuesday night were being kept indoors.

Winds in the area are from the south at 9 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

[RBroadfoot]

BP's steam crackers are in Chocolate Bayou, not Texas City.

[hole_n_one]

Flames @ center of pic.....

[deport]

Looks like they are about out....

[jungleboy]

5 days ago FBI warned against this. See post # 24 (routine 4 explosions, eh?)

[Army Air Corps]

I have an uncle who worked for Amoco as an engineer/recruiter. He worked for them since he graduated from UT until BP "merged" with Amoco; on that day he sent an e-mail to me saying that "The Torch is toast." Some in his office wanted to dress as colonial militia as a joke.

[RBroadfoot]

Forbes has a story that BP aromatics plant was shut down for maintenance related reasons this morning. Since the reports indicate that the explosion was in the chemicals plant, these events may be related.

http://www.forbes.com/business/energy/newswire/2004/03/30/rtr1316658.html

This may very well be totally unrelated to terrorism.

[dogbyte12]

Anybody want to take a guess at what oil futures are going to do tomorrow in response?

[Palladin]

Phew! Another close call.

OK, folks, you can untape your windows and turn on the air conditioners now.

[jungleboy]

Here is a good part from this horrible news:
"There were no reports of deaths or injuries so far"