Texas City explosion

[USMCmech]

Aparently there was a large explosion at the BP refinery located in Texas City near Galveston.

Acording to the spokesman for the plant, there were some fatalities and over 100 injuries.

This plant provides 3% of the total US gasoline production.

Expect gasoline prices to climb some more.

There is a link at www.foxnews.com

 

[Grabo172]

Great

 

[USMCmech]

FYI Texas City has a history of explosions.

In 1947 an ex WW2 liberty ship loaded with amonium nitrate exploded in what is belived to be the largest conventional explosion in history.

Amonium nitrate is a fertalizer, but it also can be mixed and used as an explosive (this is what was used in the OK city bombing).

Somehow durring loading a fire started smoldering in one of the cargo holds. The captian decided to seal the cargo hold in order to sufocate the fire. He also activated the fire supresion system which used steam. The fire smoldered for a few hours emiting a strange orange smoke.

Fire + explosive material + pressure + more heat = dumb move.

When the ship exploded, it killed aproximately 600 people, and leveled the town. Most experts say that the blast was equivilant to a small nuclear bomb.

Debris and parts of the ship flew over twenty miles. The blast created a huge crater underwater that exists to this day.

 

[jrm1493]

I grew up in Webster and my dad works in the refineries in Baytown. My parents live in Pasadena now (remember Urban Cowboy?)... This kind of thing happens every few years in the refineries. I remember every time we heard a boom and the windows shook my mom would get frantic and try to call my dad.

Interestingly, Texas City has some of the best fishing spots in Galveston Bay. You'd think it would be too polluted but its not, they have a pier that must be 3 or 4 miles long.