Dates: Apr 9, 2026
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On June 13, 2013, a fatal catastrophic equipment rupture, explosion, and fire occurred at a petrochemical facility in Louisiana. A propylene fractionator reboiler had catastrophically ruptured during nonroutine operational activities. The force of the explosion was estimated to be between 674 and 1,212 psig, likely generated by liquid thermal expansion in the liquid filled Reboiler B shell.
According to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board investigators, the reboiler had been offline, isolated from the propylene fractionator by a single valve on the inlet piping and a single valve on the outlet piping, when hot water was introduced to the tube side of the exchanger while the shell-side valves were still closed.
The process fluid on the shell-side of these reboilers was heated by hot “quench water,” flowing through the tubes. Quench water is water that is used to cool furnace effluent gases through direct contact with the gases. It is a “process water” stream because it directly contacts and often contains residual material from the furnace effluent gases.
In this newsletter, Georges Melhem, Ph.D., FAIChE, will share Process Safety Management strategies, technologies, and design procedures for quench vessels. Topics include:
In the wake of the 2013 explosion and fire, the company made improvements in its Process Safety Management by redesigning reboilers to prevent isolation from pressure relief valves, implementing a more collaborative Management of Change approach, and revamping its Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) procedure.
Regular reviews of Process Safety Management systems are always valuable, reducing the likelihood of accidents and improving overall efficiency.
Have a great and safe day.