March 3, 2004

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Asst. to the Fire Chief

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2411, page: 675-2137

Morning Explosion Rocks City

A thunderous explosion at the Calumet Lubricants Refinery rocked area residence this morning just after 4:00 a.m. and seriously injured one plant worker . . .

Fire department crews were dispatched to the refinery, located at 3333 Midway Avenue, after Calumet officials contacted 911 and stated that there had been an explosion with someone injured at the plant. Management of the refinery told fire officials that a hydrogen heater had exploded and a subsequent fire had resulted. The injured employee, an operator at the refinery, had been sent to check on the hydrogen heater after Calumet officials in the refinery’s control room noticed something wrong with the equipment’s readings. Sometime after the operator arrived to assess the problem, the explosion occurred. He was reported to have sustained second and third degree burns to his back and face. The worker was transported to LSUHSC Burn Treatment Center by Calumet employees prior to the fire department’s arrival. He was reported to be conscious and alert immediately following the incident.

It is presumed that hydrogen traveling in a closed pipe line escaped through a rupture or seal when passing through the heating process. The hydrogen would have then come in contact with the superheated air, causing the explosion and subsequent fire. Shreveport and Calumet fire crews worked for about 20 minutes to bring the fire under control. Large water cannons, permanently mounted throughout the sprawling facility, were used to cool the hydrogen heater that suffered heavy structural damage because of the explosion. Officials also injected nitrogen, an inert gas into the line to purge the remaining hydrogen and allowed it to simply burn off and eventually out.

Besides the initial explosion, which could be felt as far away as downtown Shreveport and caused nearby homes to shake at their foundations, there was never any danger of further fire spread or dangerous gas release. By 6:00 a.m. plant officials were allowing oncoming crews into the refinery and large tanker trucks could be seen pulling into the plant. ###