Mobil Oil Corp. has agreed to phase out hydrofluoric acid use at its Torrance, Calif., refinery by December 1997 if it cannot change its HF alkylation process to eliminate vapor cloud formation.
Mobil already has spent $25 million for research into HF process changes, but an alternative to HF alkylation at the 123,000 b/d refinery--likely involving sulfuric acid--would cost about $100 million.
Mobil expects its research into developing a modified alkylation catalyst or alternatives to HF alkylation technology to be complete by yearend 1994.
SETTLEMENT DETAILS
The agreement comes as part of a far reaching settlement coordinated by the judge presiding over a lawsuit filed last year by the city of Torrance to halt Mobil's storage and use of HF at the refinery.
The settlement calls for:
- Mobil to establish safeguards for continuing review of and improvements in safety, health, and environmental issues at the plant.
- Appointment of a qualified independent safety adviser supervised by the court to study safety and environmental elements at the refinery and develop recommendations, as well as approve in advance and verify safety of any modified HF alkylation catalyst.
- An offsite monitoring and alarm system for hazardous and explosive materials, a television monitoring system tied to the Torrance fire department, traffic control systems on sensitive streets, and refinery perimeter programs,
Mobil Refinery Manager Joe Maness said that while HF has been used safely for more than 45 years, "it is also necessary to maintain good community relations for the successful long term operation of any refinery."
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