Chevron pipe was in bad shape, feds say [View all]
Source: SF Chron
Federal officials investigating the Chevron refinery fire in Richmond say they have removed an 8-foot section of the pipe that had thinned dangerously before it failed last month and have sent it to a private materials lab to be analyzed.
U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigators observed that the wall of the 5/16th-inch-thick, 8-inch-diameter pipe leading away from the No. 4 Crude Unit had "lost most of its original thickness." They said Monday that the section will be analyzed for corrosion or other factors that may have led to its rupture and the Aug. 6 fireball.
Don Holmstrom, the Chemical Safety Board's western regional manager, said the probe will focus on whether Chevron followed industry standards in deciding to leave the pipe in place last year when the refinery was shut down for maintenance.
Chevron decided to replace a nearby 12-inch-diameter line during that refinery shutdown because it was corroded. The company considered replacing the 8-inch line but in the end kept the pipe in place.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Chevron-pipe-was-in-bad-shape-feds-say-3854828.php
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