Fire hits Delek’s El Dorado refinery

Delek US Holdings Inc. is planning to investigate a fire that broke out in late February during turnaround activity at a processing unit of its 80,000-b/d refinery in El Dorado, Ark.

The fire, which occurred at the refinery’s Penex isomerization unit on Feb. 27, was extinguished by an on-site emergency response team with assistance from the local fire department, Delek said in a statement.

Since the unit was undergoing planned maintenance at the time of the incident, Delek confirmed there currently are no operational impacts to the refinery or Delek Logistics Partners LP’s associated logistics operations.

Six Delek employees, however, did receive medical treatment following the fire, according to the operator.

Without specifying a timeline, Delek said it will launch a full investigation into the incident “as soon as possible.”

Equipped to flexibly process a range of light sweet to heavy sour crudes from Arkansas, the Permian basin, East Texas, Cushing, Okla., and the US Gulf Coast, the El Dorado refinery produces gasoline, ultralow-sulfur diesel, LPG, propylene, asphalt, and sulfur for distribution via pipeline to multiple US Midcontinent and adjacent markets, including destinations in Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, as well as Mexico, according to the company’s latest annual report to investors.

During 2019, Delek said the El Dorado refinery’s crude slate consisted of West Texas Intermediate crude (49.9%), local Arkansas crude (23.1%), and other US domestic inland grades (27.0%).