An investigation is under way into a fire that broke out on June 9 at IRPC PLC’s 215,000-b/d refinery in Tumbon Choengoen, Rayong Province, Thailand.
The fire occurred in the refinery’s vacuum gas oil hydrotreater, which provides feedstock to crackers for propylene production, IRPC said in a notice to the Stock Exchange of Thailand on June 10.
No injuries have been reported in connection with the fire, and air quality in the surrounding area has not been materially affected as a result of the incident, the company said.
While an official investigation continues, preliminary results suggest the fire may have been caused by an unidentified hydrocarbon substance leak, IRPC said.
IRPC has isolated the damaged hydrotreater from other units at the plant, and all units surrounding the damaged area temporarily shut down as a result of the fire have been restarted.
Since most of the refinery and petrochemical units at the plant remain largely unaffected, the company does not expect any substantial impact to overall production, IRPC said.
While IRPC confirmed it is currently in the process of damage appraisal at the site, no further details were disclosed regarding either the status of operations at the plant or a tentative timeframe for repairs.
