Dynamic simulation of Texas City

Refinery explosion for safety studies

Joseph Isimite

Outline
Introduction & background
Previous studies
Simulation approach
Simulation results
Quantitative HAZOP
Conclusion
Questions

Plant background
Rated capacity of
460,000 bpd of
gasoline

30 miles South East of

Houston, TX

Employs approx. 1800

employees, plus contractors

29 oil refining
units and 4
chemical units
covering 1200
acre site

Incident Introduction
15 deaths, many injuries
financial losses exceeded
US$1.5b

Catastrophic failure of
isomerisation units raffinate
splitter
Explosion occurred at 1:20pm on
23 March 2005, with subsequent
fires

Previous studies
Woodward & Moosemiller (2005): Baker Risk Report,
evaluation of possible event scenarios
Palacin-Linan (2005): PSE, gPROMS model
Manca & Brambilla (2012): Aspen HYSYS simulation
Khan and Amyotte (2007): consequence modelling
Kalantarnia et al. (2010): predictive consequence model

Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

ISOM Unit Description

Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

Raffinate unit Process Flow Diagram

Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

Why another Texas City simulation?

Its not new
However, increased legislative oversight, ageing assets,
shortage of skilled personnel and prospecting and
production activities in increasingly dangerous terrain
require fresh thinking in the way dynamic simulators are
employed in oil and gas operations.

Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

Process simulation
Suitability of Aspen Hysys
Replicate column filling dynamics
2-phase flow of sub-cooled liquid in the blowdown pipe
Dynamic HAZOP

Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

Process Flowsheet

total liquid volume: 583 m3

35 light HCs lumped into 4 categories: C5-C8
Water and Nitrogen
Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

Simulation approach
Initial conditions
Transient process variables evolution from 0200am
0120pm
Isothermal temperature regime before 1000am
Model validation with published accident data
Results show
Column filling dynamics
Feed vapourisation dynamics
Feed temperature profile
Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

Simulation results
60

50

Liquid Level [m]

40

30

20

10

0
10

10.5

11

11.5

12

12.5

13

13.5

14

14.5

Time [Hrs]

Column liquid filling dynamics

Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

Feed vapour fraction [1000hrs to 1320hrs]

1.2

Feed vapourisation
dynamics

0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
10

11

12

13

14

Feed temperature

Time [Hrs]
140

120

Feed temperature
dynamics

Feed temperature [C]

Feed vapour fraction

100
80
60
40
20
0
10

10.5

11

11.5

12

12.5

13

13.5

Time [Hrs]

Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

Dynamic HAZOP
Extrapolation of model for use in dynamic HAZOP studies
Provide a visual representation of quantified level of risks
All four burners lit instead of two

Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

1.2

Feed vapour fraction

0.8

0.6
Actual incident
DynHAZOP

0.4

0.2

0
10

-0.2

10.5

11

11.5

12

12.5

13

13.5

14

Time [Hrs]

Dynamic HAZOP feed vapourisation dynamics

Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

Conclusions
Additional temperature increase of 43% occurred, leading to
a mixed phase feed flow with a vapour fraction of 0.4
Complete vaporisation of the feed takes place at 1230pm
Help secure management buy-in by demonstrating the likely
consequences

Effective close-out of HAZOP actions

Further investigations of coupled process hazard analyses
tools

Dynamic simulation of Texas City Refinery explosion for safety studies

We do it safely, or not at all.