Murphy Oil #2 FCCU Reactor Manway Flange Leak

8/14/2019 Murphy Oil #2 FCCU Reactor Manway Flange Leak

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-EDMS Document 44138747, Page 1 of 3

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Gentlemen,

I certify, based on informs tion and be~ief formed after reasonab~e inquiry, thestatements and information in this document are true, accurate, and complete.

RECEIVEDNOV 1 6 2009

DEQSingle Point of ContactFAX (504) 278-5201

10/15/09 - 10/17/09

MERAUX REFiNERYP. O. BOX 100MERAUX LA 70075-0100

November 11, 2009CERTIFIED: 7001 1140 0001 6091 2450

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MURPHYUSA.504) 271-4141

#2 FCCU Reactor leak

UNAUTHORIZED DISCHARGE NOTIFICATION REPORT ~urphy Oil USA, Inc. Meraux Refinery, Agency Inter~2500 E. St. Bernard Hwy, St. Bernard Parish, Meraux, LATitle V Permit: 2500-00001-V5SERC Incident #: 09-06146

G. BourgeoisRe inery ManagerMurphy Oil USA, Inc.

Re:

The Murphy Oil USA, Inc. Meraux Refinery is hereby submitting a notificationof an air upset incident involving a release of hydrocarbon vapors in excessof a reportable quantity. The incident is described as follows:

MURPHYOIL USA, INC.

cc: Mr. M1ke Algero, LOEQ SE Regional Office, New Orleans, LAMr. Ken Lanier, LA Office of Publ.icHeal.th,Baton Rouge, LA

Department of Environmental QualitySingle Point of Contact (SPOC)Office of Environmental ComplianceAttn: Emergency ResponseP.O. Box 4312Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4312


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EMERGENCY OCCURRENCE AND/OR AIR UPSETNOTIFICATION FOlU4COMPANY NAME:PHYSICAL LOCATION:P. O. BOX:CITY, STATE, ZIP:TELEPHONE NO:

Murphy Oil USA, Inc.2500 E. St. Bernard Hwy.P.O. Box 100Meraux, LA 70075(504) 271-4141

DATEITIME OF CALL:DEQ OFFICIAL CONTACTED:MURPHY OFFICIAL WHO MADE CALL:APPLICABLE PERMIT INVOLVED?EMISSION PT. SOURCE(S) INVOLVED?

1116/09, 15:24 hrsLynette OUrsoM. Dobbins2500-00001-V5Facility Fugitives

APPLICABLE AIR QUALITY REGULATIONS INVOLVED? LAC33: III. 927UPSET DESCRIPTION, CAUSE, AND WHAT OFFSITE IMPACT RESULTED:On October 14-17, 2009 Murphy Oil USA, Meraux Refinery (MOUSA) experienced arelease of hydrocarbons due to a leak in the #2 FCCU Reactor manway flange.While it is difficult to quantify the emissions precisely, MOUSA conservativelyestimates total emissions at 44,000 pounds, including approximately 155 pounds ofbenzene emissions over the 74.5 hour period.On October 14, 2009 at approximately 10:30 hours, MOUSA personnel discovered asmall leak at the B4" upper manway in the #2 FCCU Reactor. As a safetyprecaution, MOUSA applied steam to the leak to disperse the vapors. MOUSA alsocalled out a maintenance vendor to make a first attempt to repair the leak bytightening the manway flange bolts. After the repair attempt failed on 10/15, andas the leak apparently worsened, MOUSA made arrangements with a specialty groupto fabricate and install a clamp on the manway. The vendor arrived on 10/16 tomeasure the manway and assess the leak. On 10/17, as MOUSA awaited that repair,the leak worsened, so MOUSA shut down the FCCU as a safety precaution. Thevendor installed the clamp on 10/18.The apparent late notification can be attributed to the difficulty in assessingthe leak and estimating emissions. This was a highly unusual incident which hadnot been specifically accounted for in our agency notification scenarios. MOUSAacknowledges that we should have provided notification on October 14 as a placemarker until we were able to quantify the emissions.MOUSA received two citizen inquiries regarding the noise from applying steam tothe leak as a safety precaution.DATEITIME RELEASE BEGAN AND TIME IT LASTED:The leak was estimated to have lasted 74.5 hours, from approximately 09:00 hrs on10/14/09 to 11:30 hrs on 10/17/09 when the unit was shut down. The clamp wasinstalled on the morning of 10/18/09.

SERC Incident #09-06146


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EMERGENCY OCCURRENCE AND/OR AIR UPSETNOTIFICATION FORM

walCH SPECIFIC POLLUTANTS WERE EMITTED AND HOW MUCH OF EACH COMPOUND WASRELEASED?The episode resu~ted in hydrocarbon emissions estimated conservatively at 44,000pounds, with up to 155 pounds of benzene. MOUSA estimated the.emissions via anorifice calculation using estimated dimensions of the flange crack and processconditions in the reactor (i.e. pressure, temperature, feedstock chemistry,etc.). Depending on the actual size of the crack, emissions could have beenbetween 10,000 and 44,000 pounds.WHAT OTHER AGENCIES WERE NOTIFIED? SERC and LEPC.IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN?KOUSA had a specialty vendor fabricate and install a clamp on the manway, afterwhich the clamp was injected with a sealant. MOUSA restarted the #2 FCCU withoutfurther incident.SPECIFIC ACTIONS TAKEN/PLANNED TO PREVENT RECURRENCE?MOUSA plans to inspect and repair the manway during the planned maintenanceturnaround in January, 2010. In the interim, MOUSA will monitor the manwayclosely for any signs of additional leakage. In order to provide timelynotification in the event of a similar episode in the future, MOUSA will updateits agency notification guidelines to incorporate the emissions calculations fromthis inci.dent.WAS THE RELEASE PREVENTABLE? (if no, provide details) :No. The leak was the result of a malfunction in the manway flange. There wereno injuries resulted from this incident.REGULATION NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENT(S):

x LAC 33:111.927 (Upset/Emergency)x LAC 33:1.3917 (RQ)

LAC 33:111.51078 (Air Toxics)

SIGNATURETITLE Sr. Environmental Engineer

DATE

SERC Incident #09-06146

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Murphy Oil #2 FCCU Reactor Manway Flange Leak