H2S release kills 1 at PEMEX Houston Refinery 2

[StressGuy]

Still developing, so no details on the cause, but local areas are still ordered to shelter in place.

PEMEX Refinery H2S leak

H2S is pretty nasty and most of us local have had to go through safety awareness training specifically for it. Many facilities require folks to wear H2S monitors where releases are possible.

Edward L. Klein
Pipe Stress Engineer
Houston, Texas

"All the world is a Spring"

All opinions expressed here are my own and not my company's.

 

[EdStainless]

I was at a plant once a few days after they lost a full tank car of pure Cl.
I had to find their safety person and shake their hand, no one hospitalized

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed

 

[TiCl4]

I remember being involved in a process experiment using H2S injection for a reactive distillation process. We brought in a dozen 200 lb bottles of H2S for the trial and slowly fed them into the process. I pulled a rotating 12-hour shift with another engineer. We carried around H2S monitors and respirators as we monitored the experiment. The second day of the trial I got a whiff of the classic "rotten egg" smell. I looked and saw my H2S monitor briefly climb to between 5-10 ppm, then drop quickly back to 0.

After donning my respirator and walking around, I finally found the source in a vent header liquid drain, over 100' away and 3 levels down. I turned out the H2S was not fully reacting, was carrying over into the vent header, and absorbing out in the liquid that was supplied to the vent header (this liquid was fed to the vent header for another purpose). I measured >50 ppm in the open trench and 0 ppm about 10' away. Since H2S was heavier than air, it sat in the trench until wind gusts picked some up and carried it along.

We stopped the experiment. H2S is nothing to play around with, even for a site used to handling tons of nasties like chlorine and my namesake.

 

[1503-44]

"Vent to safe location ------>
Is always relative to what is veing vented.

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[StressGuy]

I'm surprised it's only three so far

$1 million lawsuit filed by injured workers in Pemex Deer Park hydrogen sulfide release

“If owners and operators of oil refineries follow the proper policies and procedures designed to protect people, then the release of highly toxic gases does not happen,” Mo Aziz, an attorney who filed the lawsuit said in a statement.

While things can certainly fail over time, I would agree that a lot of these issues come from management pushing for shortcuts. I was reading a REDDIT thread talking about the accident and several folks claimed that the guy in charge of maintenance at the plant was not terribly safety conscious. Anecdotal of course, but it will be interesting to see how the case plays out.

Edward L. Klein
Pipe Stress Engineer
Houston, Texas

"All the world is a Spring"

All opinions expressed here are my own and not my company's.

 

[1503-44]

Only 1E6. That will settle out of court.

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[3DDave]

Oh boy. The more one looks the more that is exposed. The alerting system failed at every stage. No wonder "shelter in place" since they lost all the time an evacuation could have been performed.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/...ical-difficulties-during-pemex-chemical-leak/

Officials say an operating unit at the Pemex Deer Park refinery released hydrogen sulfide at 4:40 p.m. on Thursday. The incident left two workers dead and 35 others injured.

However, more than 40 minutes after the chemical release, PEMEX sent out an emergency alert via the Community Awareness Emergency Response system about flaring at the refinery.

“We are performing activities that may cause flaring,” the company’s statement read on Thursday. “We are taking steps to minimize any noise, light, or smoke associated with this flaring activity. At this time, we are not aware of an impact to the community or our industrial neighbors.”

So, "flaring", that doesn't sound like the real reason for the alert. They knew about the chemical release that had probably already killed two workers outright, but did not pass that information to anyone.

Then ...

Deer Park police were notified of the release around 5:20 p.m., according to Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton, but the public was made aware of the incident at around 6:30 p.m. — nearly two hours after the incident occurred. Deer Park officials eventually issued a shelter-in-place that lasted until around 9:30 p.m.

Additionally, Deer Park’s own emergency alert system — CodeRED — also experienced delays when alerting the community on Thursday.

About a day after the incident, Deer Park officials said the communication lag was due to “technical difficulties” preventing the city from issuing emergency notifications through CodeRED’s “web-based platform or mobile app.”

I thought that villagers taking torches and pitchforks to the Frankenstein castle was an overreaction, but I think I understand the motivation.

 

[1503-44]

Most people have no idea what goes on around them. The companies never tell the local community what risks might be present. Many do not even have a company logo visible anywhere. Those used to be on all the refinery tanks, but now, just an American flag, if anything. Some companies just use a PO box. Its left up for locals to discover by themselves, usually after the fact, what is going on around them. But even when some info is available, people still do not check the cancer maps, or the flood zones either for that matter. They seem to be basically clueless to just about everything. Virtual clams. Houston area no zoning policies do not help reduce these dangers. Probably 40% of Houstonians would move, if they had any real idea.

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[TiCl4]

1503-44,

That is why RMP regulations now require annual communications of hazards and risks associated with an RMP-covered process. The communication must take place at a local emergency planning committee, LEPCs, which are open to the public. However, I doubt the general community knows of the existence of the LEPCs, which are not exactly advertised by local officials and government reps.

 

[1503-44]

Nice. I did not know that.
And people say they don't want regulations.
Do they really say that? Self policing works so well.

Is the result of these herings public info, or do they lock it up behind the "propriatory information wall"?

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[TiCl4]

1503-44,

The hearings themselves are public - any member of the public can attend. The resultant emergency plans that come from these meetings, usually from non-responding facilities and local emergency crew (firefighters, etc) are likely documented, but I think they are only available on request. I do, however, think the public has a right to request and review any emergency plans formed in the LEPC between the source facilities and the LEPC members.

Not to be too much of a data dump, but the EPA requirements are pasted below from the appropriate CFR. There are additional requirements if you consider your site to be "non responding", and essentially requires an emergency response plan and annual or better testing of emergency communication.

I would not be surprised if this PEMEX facility was found deficient in testing its emergency notification system.

§ 68.93 Emergency response coordination activities.

The owner or operator of a stationary source shall coordinate response needs with local emergency planning and response organizations to determine how the stationary source is addressed in the community emergency response plan and to ensure that local response organizations are aware of the regulated substances at the stationary source, their quantities, the risks presented by covered processes, and the resources and capabilities at the stationary source to respond to an accidental release of a regulated substance.

(a) Coordination shall occur at least annually, and more frequently if necessary, to address changes: At the stationary source; in the stationary source's emergency response and/or emergency action plan; and/or in the community emergency response plan.

(b) Coordination shall include providing to the local emergency planning and response organizations: The stationary source's emergency response plan if one exists; emergency action plan; updated emergency contact information; and other information necessary for developing and implementing the local emergency response plan. For responding stationary sources, coordination shall also include consulting with local emergency response officials to establish appropriate schedules and plans for field and tabletop exercises required under § 68.96(b). The owner or operator shall request an opportunity to meet with the local emergency planning committee (or equivalent) and/or local fire department as appropriate to review and discuss those materials.

(c) The owner or operator shall document coordination with local authorities, including: The names of individuals involved and their contact information (phone number, email address, and organizational affiliations); dates of coordination activities; and nature of coordination activities.

(d) Classified and restricted information. The disclosure of information classified or restricted by the Department of Defense or other Federal agencies or contractors of such agencies shall be controlled by applicable laws, regulations, or executive orders concerning the release of that classified or restricted information.

 

[1503-44]

Thanks for the additional details.
If Pemex has not already been tagged, this should do it.

Looking around for Emergency Response Plan filings. I've not found any yet.

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[racookpe1978]

Liability and the "pursuit of accountability" might be difficult:

"Pemex took full ownership of the Deer Park refinery in early 2022, acquiring Shell SHELL's stake in a refining joint venture. Mexico had acquired the facility to become more self-sufficient in gasoline and diesel."

The Mexican National Government are now sole owners of the (former) Shell refinery in Deer Park.

 

[3DDave]

If they have assets in the US then those assets can be taken if there is a refusal to pay judgments. What PEMEX probably cannot do is file for bankruptcy protections, as they are backed by an entire government. What they can do is what many large companies do, hire an ocean of lawyers to drown the litigants.

I think the PEMEX emergency notification system works perfectly, if those who are there are willing to use it.

 

[1503-44]

Come on. Sueing for 1 Million dollars? 1,333 BBLS OF OIL? No way that's going to an asset sale, or international incident status. This won't even reach court.

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[3DDave]

It's an asset sale if they go to court, win, and PEMEX refuses to pay.

It's really the most fun on smaller cases, where there is a warrant to collect (no sure about the legal instrument) where the Sheriff shows up to collect and, if the cash isn't there, starts taking things, usually office furniture, computers, telephones; anything not nailed down is taken to be auctioned to satisfy the debt, goes into a moving truck. The stories I have seen about this indicate that this often causes the cash to miraculously appear. If there isn't enough from the auction to pay it off, then another visit is scheduled or the real estate is seized and put up for auction.

 

[1503-44]

Not happening. The lawyers will cost more than 1/4M just drawing up the out of court settlement.

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[3DDave]

The suggestion I was replying to implied, to me, that the debt from PEMEX LOSING THE CASE could never be collected solely because it was owned by Mexico.

It has nothing to do with the chances of PEMEX LOSING THE CASE or how costly the case might be to the litigants.

It also has nothing to do with a settlement, which implies that PEMEX will write a check.

I am not predicting the future here, I am saying what happens when a certain set of circumstances occurs.

If you don't agree that asset seizure happens to fulfill a legal debt, that's just weird.

 

[1503-44]

Of course I agree asset seizures happen. I read about it happening plenty of times. Actually its in the news almost every day. NYC cases.
I never said it couldn't happen. I said it wouldn't.
I'm happy leaving it at that.