2001 Humber Refinery explosion
Encyclopedia
The 2001 Humber Refinery explosion was a major incident at the then Conoco-owned Humber Refinery
at South Killingholme
in North Lincolnshire
. A large explosion occurred on the Saturate Gas Plant area of the site on Easter Monday
, 16 April 2001 at approximately 2:20 p.m. There were no fatalities, but two people were injured.
and South Killingholme
as well as the nearby town of Immingham - mainly doors being blown from their hinges and windows being blown in.
, as the company is now known, was investigated and subsequently fined £895,000 and ordered to pay £218,854 costs by the Health and Safety Executive
for failing to effectively monitor the degradation of the refinery's pipework. The company pleaded guilty to these charges in court and has since implemented a Risk Based Inspection
programme.
Humber Refinery
The Humber Refinery is a British oil refinery in South Killingholme, North Lincolnshire. It is situated south of the railway line next to the A160; Total's Lindsey Oil Refinery is north of the railway line....
at South Killingholme
South Killingholme
South Killingholme is a village in North Lincolnshire, England. It is divided by the A160 dual carriageway. Considerably larger than its neighbour, North Killingholme, together they make up the area of Killingholme...
in North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of Lincolnshire....
. A large explosion occurred on the Saturate Gas Plant area of the site on Easter Monday
Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is celebrated as a holiday in some largely Christian cultures, especially Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox cultures...
, 16 April 2001 at approximately 2:20 p.m. There were no fatalities, but two people were injured.
Effects
The incident temporarily shut down the entire refinery and caused oil prices to increase. Damage was caused to the nearby villages of NorthNorth Killingholme
North Killingholme is a small village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England. It has a population of 224. Along with its larger neighbour South Killingholme, it makes up the area of Killingholme. It is slightly closer to Grimsby than to Scunthorpe...
and South Killingholme
South Killingholme
South Killingholme is a village in North Lincolnshire, England. It is divided by the A160 dual carriageway. Considerably larger than its neighbour, North Killingholme, together they make up the area of Killingholme...
as well as the nearby town of Immingham - mainly doors being blown from their hinges and windows being blown in.
HSE investigation
ConocoPhillipsConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational energy corporation with its headquarters located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas in the United States...
, as the company is now known, was investigated and subsequently fined £895,000 and ordered to pay £218,854 costs by the Health and Safety Executive
Health and Safety Executive
The Health and Safety Executive is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. It is the body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, and for research into occupational risks in England and Wales and Scotland...
for failing to effectively monitor the degradation of the refinery's pipework. The company pleaded guilty to these charges in court and has since implemented a Risk Based Inspection
Risk based inspection
Risk Based Inspection is a risk based approach to prioritizing and planning inspection used in engineering industries, and predominant in the oil and gas industries. This type of inspection planning analyses the probability and consequence of failure of an asset to calculate its risk of failure...
programme.
See also
- ConocoPhillipsConocoPhillipsConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational energy corporation with its headquarters located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas in the United States...
- Humber RefineryHumber RefineryThe Humber Refinery is a British oil refinery in South Killingholme, North Lincolnshire. It is situated south of the railway line next to the A160; Total's Lindsey Oil Refinery is north of the railway line....
- South KillingholmeSouth KillingholmeSouth Killingholme is a village in North Lincolnshire, England. It is divided by the A160 dual carriageway. Considerably larger than its neighbour, North Killingholme, together they make up the area of Killingholme...
- Flixborough DisasterFlixborough disasterThe Flixborough disaster was an explosion at a chemical plant close to the village of Flixborough, England, on 1 June 1974. It killed 28 people and seriously injured 36.-Background:...
External links
- Humber Refinery at the ConocoPhillips website
- HSE report into the incident