TCP Port Natches USCSB Investigation just out 1

[1503-44]

Brilliant as usual.
Everyone can learn something from this.

https://youtu.be/6-3BFXpBcjc

https://earth.app.goo.gl/?apn=com.g...71179,3.52010836a,1305.10632982d,35y,0h,0t,0r

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

 

[Sym P. le]

They missed a great PR opportunity - Free popcorn for everyone!

 

[georgeverghese]

Some info here on popcorn formation inhibitors in 1-3 butadiene and styrene handling facilities

https://www.americanchemistry.com/c...diene-Product-Stewardship-Guidance-Manual.pdf

 

[Brian Malone]

USCSB video is excellent. The problem identification, root cause analysis and mitigation plan are all stated without fluff and embellishments. Joe Friday would approve: Just the facts, ma'am ...

Definitely lessons learned for all, don't get lax with maintenance and monitoring.

 

[1503-44]

They even had the procedures in place; just didn't follow them.

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

 

[LittleInch]

It took me a while to realise that they weren't talking about actual pop corn....

Must be quite something for that to develop enough pressure to rupture a pipe though.

But yes, all the issues were known and procedures developed, but weren't implemented.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[1503-44]

Effectively just trying to appease the regulators with their documentation, then .. off to the library's basement.

Practice, practice, practice.

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

 

[Sym P. le]

One of my early job assignments. Why is our heat treating process letting us down? Answer: What is a shortcut?

 

[Brian Malone]

Sym P.le - I have ask: what was the shortcut that inhibited success?

 

[Sym P. le]

The racks which held the parts held x units. The order was for x plus y where x >>> y. Rather than running another cycle, just place the extra parts on top of the last rack and call it a day.

The point being process does not equal adherence. If you really want to mess with QC heads ...

 

[Brian Malone]

Got it! Thanks!

 

[drwebb]

Looks like a lot of empty pads in the Google earth view. Looks like a chemical complex in general decline. Wonder if declining "institutional knowledge/memory" may have played a part in the hazard going unrecognized/unaddressed for several months.

 

[1503-44]

You mean the "rocket" crash landing site?

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

 

[TugboatEng]

Looks like a lot of empty pads in the Google earth view. Looks like a chemical complex in general decline. Wonder if declining

I wouldn't immediately make that assumption. Out this way there are many old exhaust stacks standing around facilities. Permitting won't allow new ones to be built so they keep the old, offline equipment present as a workaround as they aren't building new but upgrading old.

 

[1503-44]

It's mostly damages from the explosion.

It's not a permitting issue. More lighter inputs require modifying existing units to increase flow capacity for lighter fractions and decrease flows of heavy. And its basically cheaper to buy overseas from refineries that already had the higher light oil processing capacity built into them from day 1 anyway.


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

 

[1503-44]

Not to mention the crude is cheaper for those state owned refineries to buy it from their state owned producers.

They can undercut any US refinery whenever they want to. The Lukeoil refinery in Italy was, up until very recently, buying RU oil, refining in Italy and exporting to other EU states, if not the USA too.

And ... at times it can even be a good deal to send US lights to EU, refine it there and repurchase it for US markets as building new units in the US is more expensive, even with similar permitting times. At least it was, mostly because tons of the equipment comes from here, German & Turkish pipe, Italian and Spanish valves, or east Europe, Turkey or India and the price is better here, as we don't have to pay Trump's inflated import duties.

All of that has been squeezing US refinery margins for many many years. They were buying Mexican and Venezuelan heavies, way cheaper than Canadian, especially when including transport costs, to compensate some, but that production has been declining since 2014/5 or so. Looks like the squeeze is set to continue. Saudi Aramco owns 100% of the largest US refinery as well. It has been upgraded to handle more lighter products. I'll bet a lot of that light is coming from their fields.

Permitting new wells is not the problem either. That never went off track, backlogs have not changed much for years. Only 7% of onshore oil comes from US federal lands anyway. Onshore shale oil has been cheaper to produce than developing new offshore stuff, so relatively little has been done out there since 2012.


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