NTSB Safety Recommendation P-77-028

NTSB safety recommendation P-77-028.

INSPECT EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN VALVES AND THEIR COMPONENTS AT COMPRESSOR STATIONS AT MORE FREQUENT INTERVALS THAN 1 YEAR (MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY) UNTIL EQUIPMENT OF PROVEN RELIABILITY HAS BEEN INSTALLED, TESTED, AND SHOWN TO BE RESPONSIVE FOR LONGER PERIODS OF INACTIVITY.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1977-10-31

Adopted Date: 1977-10-13

Overall Date Closed: 1978-11-21

Synopsis: ON DECEMBER 7, 1976, A NATURAL GAS COMPRESSOR FAILED AND THEN EXPLODED AND BURNED AT AN EXXON GAS SYSTEM, INC., STATION NEAR ROBSTOWN, TEXAS. AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED, BUT FOUR AUTOMATED FIRE GATE VALVES DID NOT CLOSE. ANOTHER EMERGENCY CONTROL SYSTEM ALSO FAILED TO AUTOMATICALLY CLOSE THE SHUTOFF VALVES, LEADING TO TWO OF THE FIVE COMPRESSORS IN THE STATION. A SECOND EXPLOSION OCCURRED WITHIN THE BURNING BUILDING. THE FIRE KILLED ONE PERSON, INJURED TWO PERSONS, AND DESTROYED THREE ENGINE-DRIVEN COMPRESSORS AND THE COMPRESSOR BUILDING.

Ntsbnumber: DCA77MP005

Report Number: PAR-77-03

Addressee Name: ExxonMobil Corporation

Addressee Status: Closed--No Longer Applicable

Addressee Date Closed: 1978-11-21

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1977-12-20

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: LTR FROM EXXON GAS SYSTEM: EXXON HAS SET UP A MONTHLY VISUAL INSPECTION WITH PHYSICAL OPERATION OF EACH EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN SYSTEM. THEY ARE CHECKED FOR RESPONSE TO "FIRE", "MANUAL", "HIGH SCRUBBER LIQUID LEVEL", "VALVE OUT OF POSITION", AND WHERE APPLICABLE, "GAS DETECTED" SIGNALS. MONTHLY TESTS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE RELIABILITY OF ALL COMPONENTS IN THE ESD SYSTEM HAVE BEEN PROVEN FOR LONGER PERIODS OF INACTIVITY.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1979-01-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence