Chevron considered replacing pipe

[alp227]

Source: SF Chronicle

Chevron officials initially deemed the pipe that failed dramatically last week, causing a major fire at its Richmond refinery, as possibly needing replacement last year but ultimately cleared it for five more years of service, The Chronicle has learned.

Investigators with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and other federal and state agencies have launched several inquiries into the Aug. 6 leak and fire. Both the damage and the investigations could leave part of the crude oil processing unit down for months.

A key issue is the decisions company officials made last fall, when the unit was shut down for annual inspection and repairs.

At the time, Chevron officials examined both the line that failed and a larger companion line linked to it, company officials said. Both pipes were fed from a 16-inch connection to the crude oil unit's distillation tower and served to route hot hydrocarbons away for cooling and processing.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Chevron-considered-replacing-pipe-3785841.php

[DonCoquixote]

1. OK, so once again

an oil company does not do maintenance, and we all pay.

[silverweb]

2. But any increase in gas prices is Obama's fault.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Just don't forget that!

[lapfog_1]

3. I get the feeling that the decision to not replace it...

was LIHOP all over again.

something more like "we know this is going to fail if we do nothing, probably sometime in the next year... and if it does, we know the refinery will be shut down for an extended period... and that with the economy recovering, this will cause gas prices to climb... and the blame will go to the President during the election season and, well, that's OK".

You can almost hear the ghosts of Enron traders laughing at grandma trying to fill the gas tank.

[BlueToTheBone]

4. Isn't Jaba the Hut the CEO of Chevron?

The ones whose profits were billions of dollars every quarter? The ones who are jacking the price of gas to the sky and they cheaped out on the metal pipe? A several thousand dollar repair is now millions to re-mediate. I hope they get fined and sued for their entire profit margin for the year.

[Heywood J]

6. You're probably thinking of Exxon.

http://www.businessinsider.com/exxonmobil-private-empire-2012-5?op=1

[schmice]

5. Can somebody explain this to me?

If it is a Chevron refinery, why are the gas prices going up for all brands instead of just Chevron?

[Kingofalldems]

7. We must deregulate

Get the guvment off our backs!