| Case Name |
Leakage and fire due to corrosion of branch piping for a thermometer of an atmospheric distillation unit |
| Pictograph |
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| Date |
July 27, 1996 |
| Place |
Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan |
| Location |
Refinery |
| Overview |
Leakage and a fire occurred in the vicinity of a crude oil heating furnace outlet at an atmospheric distillation unit. The temperature of the part that leaked was 360 °C, and this was a hot corrosive environment, considering crude oil properties. Therefore, it is necessary to use high-quality materials. Low-quality materials were used for the thermometer branching tube during construction to increase a production capacity. As a result, corrosion progressed more than assumed, and a hole opened in the branching tube, high-temperature crude oil leaked 20 years after the construction, and a fire occurred. |
| Incident |
A fire occurred during usual operation at an atmospheric distillation unit. An operator on patrol found the fire at the upper part of outlet piping of a crude oil heating furnace and around the upper part of lower steam piping. The branch piping for a thermometer mounted near the fire point leaked, and crude oil at a high temperature leaked, ignited, and burned. |
| Processing |
Manufacture |
| Individual Process |
Distillation |
| Substance |
Crude oil |
| Type of Accident |
Leakage, fire |
| Sequence |
September, 1974. Branch piping was mounted.
July, 1994. A fire occurred. |
| Cause |
A hole opened due to corrosion. The heating furnace outlet temperature was 360 °C, and this high temperature caused high-temperature corrosion considering the properties of crude oil. Therefore, the material used should be 5Cr-1/2Mo steel. However, different materials were mixed at the time of reinforcement of a production capacity in 1974, and improper 1/2Mo steel was used. As a result, it is presumed that corrosion progressed more than expected and a hole was opened. High-temperature crude oil leaked and ignited. |
| Response |
Fire fighting by a private fire brigade. |
| Countermeasures |
Strengthening material management and checks on plant construction, repair, and maintenance. |
| Knowledge Comment |
If inadequate materials are used in plant construction, repair, and maintenance, the major accident can occur. It is necessary to carefully select materials including a branch pipe, fill in the material table and manage materials. |
| Background |
Defective material management in plant construction might be a cause. Usually, before piping is erected, a piping list for construction is prepared for all conditions including material corresponding to application conditions. There might have been mistakes in the list or incomplete management of piping materials. It is uncertain what happened. |
| Sequel |
After the accident, the entire plants were checked in the factory. As a result, six other defective locations were found. |
| Incidental Discussion |
There have been a lot of accidents in this refinery. It is thought necessary to review the approach to safety. |
| Reason for Adding to DB |
Example of fire caused due to an error in selection of material for the branch piping |
| Scenario |
| Primary Scenario
|
Organizational Problems, Poor Management, Slackness of Management, Poor Value Perception, Poor Safety Awareness, Poor Construction Management System, Carelessness, Insufficient Understanding, Insufficient Recognition of Risk, Planning and Design, Poor Planning, Poor Material Control Planning, Production, Hardware Production, Piping Construction, Failure, Abrasion, Corrosion, Secondary Damage, External Damage, Leakage/Fire
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| Sources |
Leakage and fire from a branch pipe for thermometer mounting, Industry and protection, Vol.12, No.30, p.11(1996).
High Pressure Gas Safety Inst. of Japan, High-pressure gas protection overview, 1997 edition, pp.198-199(1997).
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| Field |
Chemicals and Plants
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| Author |
OGAWA, Terushige (Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University)
TAMURA, Masamitsu (Center for Risk Management and Safety Sciences, Yokohama National University)
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