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Exxon Mobil chemical plant unit damaged in blaze

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At the Exxon Mobil operation, the blaze in a naphtha rerun unit in the plant's process area was extinguished about an hour after it began at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, said Baytown operations spokeswoman Tricia Thompson.

The unit separates naphtha -- a flammable, volatile, oily liquid produced by petroleum distillation -- into chemical feedstocks and solvents.

Thompson said damage to the unit, which was shut down after what was reported as "a fire and a noise," was still being assessed early Friday.

No injuries were reported because no one was close to the ignition source. No detectable emissions were released.

Thompson said the naphtha unit had a "furnace flare-out," when its igniter was extinguished, which she compared with what happens when the pilot light of a home furnace or water heater goes out.

A mechanism in the unit detected that the flame was out and automatically shut off the flow of natural gas in the unit, Thompson said.

"There was some residual gas in the unit that burned off as it should have. That's what caused the fire response," she said.

About 50 emergency responders at the plant were immediately summoned to the fire scene, she said.

Thompson could not say how much gas burned.

At the BP refinery, the company is focusing its investigation of the chemical explosion Tuesday night on a furnace ignition, said BP spokesman Annie Smith.

About 10 people went to Mainland Center Hospital complaining of exposure to chemicals.

Last month, the FBI alerted the petrochemical industry that uncorroborated sources overseas said Texas refineries and pipelines might be targeted by terrorists in order to influence the upcoming presidential election.

The law enforcement advisory was sent out March 24. But authorities said that the chemical plant and refinery blazes this week were not the result of foul play.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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