Home Search Emissions Pollutants About the Database


Alon Refining (3116), Krotz Springs

Releases of Hydrogen Sulfide

LDEQ Accident Number
Accident Date
Point Source(s) Notes Amount of Release
117771

2009-09-04
flare
Cause: Crude unit upset resulted in intermittent flaring from 3 different process vessels.

Followup: No

Notes: Reduced rates and shutdown isomerzation and LRU unit to minimize flaring until flow rates could be stabilized. Same issue as the release on the previous day.
116654

2009-07-22
Boiler stack
Cause: While turning the Boiler B-8203, the contractor identified potential burner problem that could be causing a small amount of uncombusted fuel gas to be flowing through out the stack with the combusted fuel gas.

Followup: No

Notes: Cut back boiler and steamed burners to attempt a fix, with limited success. Shut down boiler and repaired burner.
0.8 pounds
127252

2010-10-25
FLARE - FCCU flare
Cause: "Loss of power in Complex II caused operating and utility units to shutdown. This even resulted in flaring from the FCCU flare" Due to the loss of power, the complex II steam producers shut down, therefore the flare steam assist was lost. This resulted in smoking flares. This released the following chemicals: SO2, H2S, NOx, VOC, Hexane, and 1,3 Butadiene. FLARE.

Followup: No

Notes: A power feed was connected from Complex I to Complex II, and boilers were restarted to produce steam to assist the FCCU flare, and shutdown procedures was continued. No LDEQ report. Refinery Letter only.
2.9 pounds
135089

2011-12-22
Crude Unit Flare and FCCU Unit Flare
Cause: Extreme cold front moving through area with heavy rains and "tomadic" winds. Power trip upset that resulted in unusual flaring. During severe weather and winds, power feeding the plant from the utility company tripped off, shutting down the entire refinery.

Followup: No

Notes: Safety reliefs vented to the flares as designed to control the upset. Permit limits were exceeded, but no reportable quantities were released. Flares smoked for approximately 5 minutes in compliance with Title V permit conditions.
4.9 pounds
138331

2012-03-25
FLARE: FCCU flare
FCCU regenerator stack
Cause: A leak in a slurry pump caused a flash fire and triggered the shutdown of the FCCU and associated units. Safety reliefs vented to the FCC Unit flare.

Followup: No

Notes: The flash fire was extinguished. Safety devices functioned until units were fully down.
31.6 pounds
148327

2013-04-25
Drain connect to heat exchanger
FCCU Unit Flare
Cause: On April 25, contractors were in the process of repairing a leak on a drain valve of a heat exchanger in the Reformer Unit. While placing a clamp on the heat exchanger to encase the valve and stop the leak, the point where the drain connects to the heat exchanger failed, releasing LPG (propane/butane mix). At about 8:14 am, the LPG ignited and a fire began. The fire was ultimately controlled, and remaining LPG was flared in a controlled manner until the damaged equipment was free of flammable gas.

Followup: Yes

Notes: The Refinery Emergency Response Team immediately responded to control and extinguish the fire. While fighting the fire, the entire refinery was shut down to mitigate additional danger from the fire. Upon and since emergency shutdown of the FCCU Regenerator, stack concentration limits for CO (500 ppm hourly average), SO2 (50 ppm 7-day rolling average), and Opacity (30% for 2 or more 6 min per hour) have been exceeded. While 7-day average SO2 concentration limits dictated by the Consent Decree were exceeded, permitted lb/hr limits were not. The Consent Decree exempts SO2 exceedances during times of SSM. The Complex II Fuel gas H2S 3-hr average limit of 161 ppm was exceeded due to forced shutdown of the H2S treatment system. Upon startup of the FCCU after the incident from May 6 through May 7, the FCCU stack concentration limits for CO were exceeded for 9 hours with the hourly pounds per hour limit for CO exceeded during 4 of those hours. CO will generally be high upon startup until temperatures become high enough to adequately combust the coke on catalyst. On April 29, the Complex 2 flare exceeded its Consent Decree 24-hr SO2 limit of 500 lbs/dy. However, no Title V hourly maximum permit limit was exceeded.
27.6 pounds
154265

2014-03-04
FCCU
Cause: On March 4, 2014, there was an air release caused by a flare flame-out at the ALON Krotz Springs Refinery. The release was caused by a loss of the FCCU flare flame for 6 minutes during the shutdown of Complex II/FCCU due to freezing conditions. Caused unburnt gas to be released to the atmosphere for 6 minutes.

Followup: No

Notes: Re-lit flare LDEQ incident report states that 7-day notification was received on March 13, 2014. Document did not exist in EDMS search.
2.6 pounds