An explosion earlier this month at Angarsk Petrochemical Co. plant in Russia killed one worker and knocked out a facility that produces base oils for hydraulic fluids, said parent company Rosneft.
The Russian Prosecutors Investigative Committee, which is investigating the incident, has instituted criminal proceedings over the explosion as a violation of safety rules, official state news agency ITAR-TASS reported Dec. 7.
The companys base oil plant in Angarsk has 5,750 barrels per day of API Group I capacity. Angarsk has several base oil production facilities, and only one is out of order due to the explosion, a Rosneft spokesman told Lube Report on Monday, noting that the impacted facility only handles base oil production for hydraulic fluids. The Dec. 6 explosion did not impact Rosnefts finished lubricants plant in Angarsk, the spokesman said.
The explosion occurred in a “catalysts and organic synthesis”unit of the base oil plant atsubsidiary Angarsk Petrochemical’s refinery, according to a Rosneft statement. The accident was likely caused by depressurization of high pressure equipment, the company said. A spokesman added that “metallic wear” appeared to be a factor.
The panel board, operational and pump premises have been demolished as a result of the explosion, the company noted, adding that no fire or emission of harmful substances in the atmosphere occurred. The total area of destruction was an estimated 300 square meters.
Rosneft stated that the Angarsk refinery and plant have taken all necessary measures in response to the incident, and are making preparations to restore production.
The Angarsk refinery was commissioned in 1955 and Rosneft acquired it in May 2007, according to the companys web site. The refinery operates under the Angarsk Petrochemical name. The city of Angarsk is located in south central Russia, near the border withMongolia.
Boris Kamchev and Tim Sullivan contributed to this report.