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A BLEVE explosion caused by liquid petroleum gas occurred in Pasadena’s INEOS cumene production facility in Texas on Wednesday, March 22. The explosion led to a fire breakout which was ruled an accident.
BLEVE or Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion is a vapor explosion caused by a catastrophic failure of a vessel that contains pressurized liquid above its boiling point at nominal atmospheric pressure.
Since the boiling point of the liquid increases with pressure, it can remain liquid inside a pressurized vessel as long as the vessel itself is intact. Once the tank’s structure is compromised, the loss of pressure causes the liquid to rapidly convert into an expanding gas.
The vapor that is formed due to the rapid boiling, tries to escape through the opening. The pressure of the vapor gradually increases. If the tank comes into contact with a fire source, it leads to an explosion or a shock wave, completely destroying the vessel structure and the surrounding areas.
In the case of combustible gasses such as alcohol and hydrocarbons, the ensuing fire can cause more damage.
Netizens express concerns about the Pasadena facility's explosion
What led to the explosion?
On Wednesday, around 11:45 am, crews from Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office and Pasadena firefighters responded to the possible explosion at INEOS, located in the 3500 block of the Pasadena Freeway.
Authorities said during a news conference that the explosion occurred when raw materials, including liquid petroleum gas (LPG) were being delivered to the facility by liquid bulk trucks.
LPG is used in the production of cumene, which is an intermediate chemical that is used to produce phenol. Phenol is a refined product used in the production of construction materials and everyday consumer goods.
As stated by INEOS officials, while the LPG was being offloaded, the gas ignited a spark and caused the explosion. Officials immediately reached out to first responders to render aid to the facility. The fire that broke out was extinguished by 1 pm.
However, one person who was driving a third-party bulk truck was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in stable condition. Officials said that the facility’s other staff members were accounted for.
How internet users reacted to the incident
People were left in distress as news of the explosion surfaced. They voiced their concerns and recommendations on Twitter.
Harris County Judge Lina Maria Hidalgo issued a statement regarding the explosion, where she said:
“I know folks are concerned about ongoing safety in the area. Our Pollution Control and Hazardous Materials teams will remain on the ground to monitor the situation and ensure there is no threat to public health or safety. These incidents continue to happen too often in our community and that is unacceptable.”
Reports of any known impact to the shelters in place or the Pasadena community are not currently known. An investigation will be conducted by healthcare officials and they will also monitor the air quality of the area to ensure its safety.
Sector Houston-Galveston of the U.S. Coast Guard reported that the water was not polluted by the explosion. Officials said that no remaining hazardous material leaks appear to have occurred, but the monitoring in and around Pasadena will continue.
