Just saw it on the local news, no link or other information, but i'm sure its out there somewhere. No reason as of yet for the explosion. There goes the cheap gas in So Ca. [sigh]

-- Not (today@but.thanks), November 10, 1999

Answers

O.K.- How many does that make in the last 6 months?

-- Gia (laureltree7@hotmail.com), November 10, 1999.

Tosco Says Wilmington Refinery Near Los Angeles Catches Fire

Wilmington, California, Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Tosco Corp. said part of its Wilmington, California, refinery near Los Angeles caught fire at about 3:45 local time and that it was extinguished in about an hour.

No injuries were reported, spokesman Jeff Lyon said.

Tosco operates two refineries near Los Angeles, the Wilmington and Carson refineries, which combined can process about 120,000 barrels of oil a day. The fire was contained to a holding tank containing water and oil, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

Tosco, based in Stamford, Connecticut, owns eight U.S. refineries that can process about 950,000 barrels of oil daily. Its fire in Martinez, California, was the scene of a February explosion and fire that killed four workers.

Tosco shares fell 1/4 to 26 13/16 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Nov/09/1999 23:22

-- Not (today@but.thanks), November 10, 1999.

*Sheesh!*

What is with all these refinery explosions in California... this year!!???

This is beyond coincidence!

Diane

Oil refinery catches fire, sends thick smoke into air over Los Angeles
PAUL CHAVEZ, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, November 9, 1999

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ article.cgi?file=/news/archive/1999/11/09/state2236EST0128.DTL

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

(11-09) 19:36 PST LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An explosion and fire broke out at an oil refinery Tuesday afternoon, spewing huge plumes of thick, black smoke that could be seen for miles.

There were no reports of injury and the blaze was doused in less than an hour, authorities said.

The fire started shortly before 4 p.m. at the Tosco Co. refinery in the Wilmington neighborhood, about 21 miles south of downtown near the Port of Los Angeles, said Deputy Chief Bob Neamy of the city Fire Department.

Freeway ramps near the refinery were closed while the blaze roared. Nearby Los Angeles Harbor College canceled night classes as a precaution.

Several businesses near the refinery were evacuated, including about 20 workers from CertainTeed, a roofing materials manufacturer.

``I heard a big boom and then a few minutes later another one and another one,'' said Crystal Johnson, 22, a receptionist for CertainTeed. ``I was typing on my computer and I thought it was a car accident at first.''

The blaze was confined to a 150-foot-diameter oil recovery tank where waste oil is separated from water, Neamy said.

Because the tank contained mostly water, the fire was in ``the best place you could have one in a refinery,'' Neamy said.

The cause was under investigation.

More than 140 firefighters from several city and county agencies joined Tosco emergency crews in fighting the blaze, which sent flames nearly 100 feet into the air.

The refinery was shut down during the fire but resumed reduced operation afterwards, said Jeff Callender, a Tosco spokesman.

It was unclear what impact the fire would have on production, he said.

At the height of the fire, Bill Kelly with the South Coast Air Quality Management District advised drivers to roll up their windows to avoid exposure to the oily smoke. The agency began monitoring air samples after the fire to ensure the safety of residents who live next to the refinery.

Another Tosco refinery in Northern California was the site of a deadly explosion and fire in February that shut down the operation for about two months. Four men were killed and a fifth was badly burned. An independent consulting firm found Tosco managers' commitment to safety was lacking, and layoffs had made the plant dangerous.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 10, 1999.

The last explosion across the bay at Tosco was then followed by Chevron. Gas went from aprox 1.18/gl to aprox. 1.77/gl (that was only 2 refineries temporarily shut down for short periods of time) We're now about 1.54/gl (at least it was yesterday). Prices for this resource tend to be real sticky on the way down (they follow the reverse principles of newton). The people around the Bay Area are very familiar with it, they have had to pay for these events (immediately). The Safety Concerns over the Tostco Refinery are a bit scary, gee wonder how they did on their Y2k proj.

-- gaswillcostmorenow (karlacalif@aol.com), November 10, 1999.

To "gas"

That was their Y2K remediation program... now their compliant. :-)

To all... remember that "OIL ENGINEER" who told us the other day that ALL OIL REFINERIES ARE SAFE...insinuating that refineries will still be safe over Y2K??

Well, THEY'RE NOT SAFE NOW...never were either. Notice the comment above about a previous explosion elsewhere killing 4 workers... Yeah that proves just how safe refineries are.

R.C.

-- R.C. (racambab@mailcity.com), November 10, 1999.

Looks like they were passing out sparklers at the board meeting again. Jeessh.

-- PD (PaulDMaher@att.worldnet.com), November 11, 1999.