FINA HALTS EMISSION RELEASES AT PORT ARTHUR

Fina Oil & Chemical Co. in mid-June avoided possible suspension of operations at its 110,000 b/cd Port Arthur, Tex., refinery by preventing the release of illegal emissions during an emergency shutdown. Emissions were not released because of an extensive plan of corrective action the company had begun implementing at the plant, a Fina spokesman said.

June 24, 1991

2 min read

Emissions were not released because of an extensive plan of corrective action the company had begun implementing at the plant, a Fina spokesman said.

"The plan we submitted to the Texas Air Control Board (TACB), including the modifications we made and the teams we set up, worked," Fina's Rick Hagar said. "A portion of the plant, including the sulfur recovery system, went down and we brought it back up without incident."

Two days before the June 13 emergency shutdown, the Texas attorney general's office filed a lawsuit against Fina seeking penalties of as much as $25,000/incident for inadvertent releases of sulfur compounds on Apr. 29, May 1, May 7, and May 26, and an injunction barring operation of the refinery's sulfur recovery units in the event of further releases, which effectively would shut down the plant.

The suit was filed at the urging of TACB after residents of a subdivision bordering the Port Arthur complex complained of medical problems following the first three releases and of foul odors following the fourth.

Hagar confirmed that the four incidents were related to start-up of the refinery after a $200 million modernization project intended to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions. He said Fina had been working for a month to correct the problems before the lawsuit was filed June 11.

Hagar said Fina had:

Changed refinery feedstock to a sweeter slate to minimize sulfur content in gases entering sulfur recovery units at an additional cost of $50,000-150,000/day.
Organized a team of experienced technical, maintenance, and supervisory personnel to provide 24 hr/day oversight of sulfur recovery operations.
Formed a study committee to develop and initiate short term and long term improvements of the sulfur recovery system.

Some of the committee's recommendations have been implemented.

The emergency shutdown occurred when lightning caused a power surge that briefly knocked out electrical service from the local utility.

Fina voiced confidence the dispute with TACB can be settled at the agency level and not in the courts.

When the Port Arthur plant's new catalytic cracker is brought on line at the end of June, completing Fina's modification project, sulfur dioxide emissions will be reduced by 32%, Hagar said.