CITGO PRODUCTS PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

A SHORT FLASH FIRE OCCURRED WHEN AN LPG FILTER VESSEL DOOR WAS OPENED TO CHANGE FILTERS AND REMOVE SOLIDS, DESPITE HAVING BEEN NITROGEN PURGED. THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED BY THE INTRODUCTION OF ADDITIONAL NITROGEN INTO THE VESSEL AND THE USE OF A HAND-HELD FIRE EXTINGUISHER. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE RESULTED FROM THE EVENT. THE VESSEL WAS SECURED AND AN INVESTIGATION WAS INITIATED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. THE UNIT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RE-PURGED WITH NITROGEN AND FLOODED WITH WATER BEFORE BEING OPENED TO COLLECT A SEDIMENT SAMPLE FOR PYROPHORIC ANALYSIS. THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS INDICATE THAT THE MATERIAL WAS NOT PYROPHORIC. BASED ON THIS AND A REVIEW OF THE STEPS TAKEN IN THE INITIAL PURGING, THE INVESTIGATION TEAM CONCLUDED THAT THE LIKELY CAUSE WAS THAT THE VESSEL HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETELY PURGED OF ALL HYDROCARBONS AND THAT A STATIC CHARGE IGNITED THE VAPORS WHEN THE DOOR WAS OPENED. OPERATIONAL AND SAFETY PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN AMENDED TO ELIMINATE THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS TYPE OF HAZARD TO REOCCUR.