Investigation under way into Kansas refinery fire
CVR Refining LP, Sugar Land, Tex., has begun an official investigation into the cause of a fire that broke out on July 29 at the isomerization (isom) unit at its 115,000 b/d refinery at Coffeyville, Kan. (OGJ Online, July 29, 2014).
The complex full-coking, medium-sour crude refinery, which was shuttered following the fire, remains shutdown, the company said.
“We are fully cooperating with [the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration] and are conducting a thorough investigation to determine what happened,” said Jack Lipinski, CVR Refining’s chief executive officer, who added that the company is working to identify steps it might take to avoid a similar incident in the future.
The fire, which occurred at about 12:30 a.m. on July 29 and extinguished less than an hour later, injured four employees, all of whom remain hospitalized, according to the company’s latest update.
CVR Refining did not provide further details regarding the incident but said it would provide additional information as it becomes available.
A timetable for the restart of operations at the Coffeyville refinery was not disclosed.
