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BLAST DAMAGES TEXACO REFINERY

Aug. 1, 1994

An explosion and fire last week at Texaco Ltd.'s 180,000 b/d Pembroke, South Wales, refinery damaged two out of 26 process units. Twenty-six workers suffered minor injuries, but none was hospitalized. The explosion occurred July 24. Early reports said the plant had been hit by lightning during a storm, causing a fire near a crude distillation column. Texaco immediately evacuated the plant. It was July 27 before the last small fires were doused and inspection teams received the all clear

An explosion and fire last week at Texaco Ltd.'s 180,000 b/d Pembroke, South Wales, refinery damaged two out of 26 process units.

Twenty-six workers suffered minor injuries, but none was hospitalized.

The explosion occurred July 24. Early reports said the plant had been hit by lightning during a storm, causing a fire near a crude distillation column.

Texaco immediately evacuated the plant.

It was July 27 before the last small fires were doused and inspection teams received the all clear from fire-fighters. A Texaco spokesman said the plant's butamer and catalytic cracker units were damaged.

A team of Texaco and Health & Safety Executive engineers were investigating the cause of the blast and assessing damage.