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SPECIALREPORT
n explosion occurred inside a bitumen storage tank. An abrupt interruption of the purging steam discharge from the tank preceded the accident.
The suspected ignition sources alone would
not be able to cause the observed explosion. An additional impulse must have been
present. Careful analysis of the event led to
the conclusion that the explosion was probably preceded by water that was introduced
inside the tank. Iron sulfides were present
under the tank roof and combined with
the injection of water (causing the fresh air
suction and atmosphere movement inside
the tank) and this explained the explosion
under actual conditions.
Introduction. Trevor Kletz wrote an
FIG. 1
I 35
SPECIALREPORT
Bitumen
circulation
inlet pipe
FIG. 2
36
SPECIALREPORT
TABLE 1. Fact/hypothesis matrix. Legend: (+) compatible with hypothesis; () not likely
Fact or condition/hypothesis
Abrupt interruption of
steam discharge 47 sec
before the explosion
Steam
outlet
Steam
inlet
Air Injection
intake of water
Position of
new weld
Fresh air
movement
Shrinking
of steam
and air
Hydrocarbon vapors
raised by water
evaporation
Bitumen, 205C
FIG. 3
FIG. 4
I 37
SPECIALREPORT
TABLE 2. Modified fact/hypothesis matrix. Legend: (+) compatible with hypothesis; () not likely
Fact or condition/hypothesis
Welding of the
bitumen
circulation
pipe inlet
approximately
6 weeks before
Emptying of
pipe line, 10 m3
of air introduced
inside the tank
between -0:40
and -0.25 hr
FIG. 5
Return of
bitumen tank
back into
operation
Approximately
4 weeks before
Introduction of
waste into
steam inlet pipe
at -00:00:47 sec
Penetration of
light hydrocarbons into
bitumen
inside tank
Approximately
2 days before
Interruption of
steam discharge
between
-00:00:47 and
00:00:00 sec
Penetration of
fresh air to
pyrophoric iron
suldes at
new weld
< 00:00:00
Start of steam
purging
At -03:40 hr
Spontaneous
ignition of
pyrophoric
iron suldes,
release of
sparks
< 00:00:00 sec
120 t of bitumen
added, level
raised to 180
cm, temp. to
205C between
-3:40 and -0:40 hr
Explosion of air
and hydrocarbon
vapors mixture
at 00:00:00 sec
Bitumen level
65 cm,
temperature
155C
more than
1 day before
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into the bitumen inside the tank; the creation of pyrophoric iron sulfides at the new
weld; and the introduction of water into
the steam inlet pipe. The accident would
never have occurred if a small amount of
water had not been introduced into the
steam purging inlet pipe. It is highly probable that similar situations had occurred in
the tanks 40-yr history, but the necessary
causes never coincided. Fig. 5 illustrates
a probable multiple-root cause analysis,
which may lead to some lessons learned
from the accident while recommending
proper corrective measures. HP
1
LITERATURE CITED
Kletz, T. A., New Fire-fighting Agent Meets
Opposition, By accident ... a life preventing them in
industry, PFV Publications, London, 2000
Crowl, D. A., Understanding Explosions,
American Institute of Chemical Engineers, New
York, 2003.
Kletz, T. A., Myths of the Chemical Industry,
The Institution of Chemical Engineers, Rugby,
1985.
Lees, F. P., Loss Prevention in the Process
Industries, Second Edition, ButterworthHeinemann, Oxford, 1996.
IRP18 Committee, University of Calgary, Canada,
http://www.firesandexplosions.ca/hazards/
ignition sources.php, September 24, 2007.
Davie, F. M., T. W. Nolan and S. Hoban, Study
of Iron Sulfide as a Possible Ignition Source in
the Storage of Heated Bitumen, Journal of Loss
Prevention in the Process Industry, Vol. 6, Issue 3,
pp. 139143, September 1993.
Center for Chemical Process Safety, Guidelines for
Investigating Chemical Process Incidents,
American Institute of Chemical Engineers, New
York, 1992.