Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Pemex Refinery Hit By Explosion In Northern Mexico
Dow Jones via Fox News ^ | 9/7/10 | Laurence Iliff

Posted on 09/07/2010 10:52:06 AM PDT by thackney

An explosion Tuesday morning shook a refinery in Mexico, near the U.S. border, local media reported.

The Cadereyta refinery, located in the state of Nuevo Leon, is owned by Mexican state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex.

A Pemex press officer would only say that the company was gathering information and would issue a statement once it had more facts.


TOPICS: Mexico; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: accidentalterrorism; coker; energy; refinery

1 posted on 09/07/2010 10:52:10 AM PDT by thackney
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Link only per copyright complaint:

Pemex 235,000-Barrel Mexican Refinery Hit by Explosion
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-07/mexico-s-pemex-confirms-refinery-explosion-at-cadereyta-near-monterrey.html

This source, confirmed by sources inside the refinery, states the explosion was in the coking unit.


2 posted on 09/07/2010 10:53:27 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thackney

Things that make me go, hmmmmm.


3 posted on 09/07/2010 10:53:57 AM PDT by TruthConquers (Delendae sunt publicae scholae)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

More info:

Worker killed in Pemex refinery blast
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/worker-killed-in-pemex-refinery-blast/article1698224/

A worker at Mexico’s Cadereyta oil refinery was killed in an explosion, state oil monopoly Pemex confirmed on Tuesday.

Pemex said in a press release that the accident occurred following a leak in a compressor at the gasoil hydrotreater unit at the refinery that resulted in a brief fire.

Pemex did not provide an update on the operational status of the refinery in the press release.

Local media in northern Mexico initially reported that seven people had died in the explosion at Pemex’s Cadeyreta complex.

excerpted...


4 posted on 09/07/2010 10:56:40 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TruthConquers
I must admit, I was reluctant to post this know the conspiracy theorists that would again come out of the woodwork.

I have some co-workers recently in this unit and upgrades were already planned there. However, the upgrades I am familiar with were not related to the compressor.

5 posted on 09/07/2010 10:59:43 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: thackney

That’s odd.
Coker units are basically just “cooking” slag and don’t involve a lot of volatility.

I guess if an operation is mismanaged though...


6 posted on 09/07/2010 11:01:45 AM PDT by humblegunner (Pablo is very wily)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: thackney

I’m sure this isn’t an ecological disaster!


7 posted on 09/07/2010 11:02:25 AM PDT by Republic of Texas (Socialism Always Fails)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: humblegunner

I was thinking Los Zetas....


8 posted on 09/07/2010 11:03:39 AM PDT by Pecos (Liberty and Honor will not die on my watch.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: humblegunner
They often involve some of the hottest portions of the refinery and thermally crack those heavy long-chain hydrocarbons into lighter, more volatile hydrocarbons.

The accumulation of coke dust can also be an ignition source but does not appear to be the case this time.

9 posted on 09/07/2010 11:05:24 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Republic of Texas

Some who have already visited a PEMEX refinery would say they were an ecological disaster prior to any explosion.


10 posted on 09/07/2010 11:06:27 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: thackney

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I do believe in coincidences. They make me wonder.

I wonder if there is something like earth movements, unlike quakes, that are under the gulf. There has been a bit of an up tick in large earthquakes this year.

But, a compressor doesn’t fit in.

Just trying to keep an open mind to unknowns that this modern world is unaware of, as yet.


11 posted on 09/07/2010 11:07:22 AM PDT by TruthConquers (Delendae sunt publicae scholae)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

For those that are curious


12 posted on 09/07/2010 11:08:43 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thackney

Having worked with some PEMEX representatives in the GOM, I don’t doubt that.


13 posted on 09/07/2010 11:09:30 AM PDT by Republic of Texas (Socialism Always Fails)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: thackney
Any chance that Tropical Storm Hermine had anything to do with it?

-PJ

14 posted on 09/07/2010 11:10:18 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too ("Comprehensive" reform bills only end up as incomprehensible messes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TruthConquers
Typically, when our oil/gas industry news gets posted into more a more broad interest news area like here or the mainstream media, I find somewhat normal occurrences blown out of proportion. Events that are unfortunate, but altogether not outside of norms, get viewed as unusual occurrences because those outside the industry don't normally hear about them.

Sadly, refinery deaths are not rare enough, nor are fires and explosions. I recently worked on a proposal for this unit and it caught my interest.

15 posted on 09/07/2010 11:14:05 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Political Junkie Too

No.

Different area.


16 posted on 09/07/2010 11:15:41 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: thackney
located in the state of Nuevo Leon

Isn't that state in the northeast, on the Texas border? Is the storm really that far away?

-PJ

17 posted on 09/07/2010 11:18:56 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too ("Comprehensive" reform bills only end up as incomprehensible messes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Political Junkie Too
Rain bands only lightly reached Nuevo Leon. Most of the weather is North & East of the center of the storm rotation. I will admit, it is closer than I first remembered.

We have been in contact with those in this unit this morning. It was not weather related.

18 posted on 09/07/2010 11:29:57 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

This would have been more helpful to everyone if I had bothered to identify Nuevo Leon.

Sorry, see below:


19 posted on 09/07/2010 11:45:01 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: TruthConquers

“Things that make me go, hmmmmm.”

Having worked on many a PEMEX drilling location and been to this very refinery, the only thing mysterious to me is that it didn’t blow up years ago.

The duct tape and bailing wire holding this POS together was held up with scotch tape and tequila bottles.


20 posted on 09/07/2010 11:56:31 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Nothing to see here. Move along.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Pecos

“I was thinking Los Zetas....”

No, PEMEX has its own security force. Probably the only place safe from Zetas would be a PEMEX location.


21 posted on 09/07/2010 11:58:04 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Nothing to see here. Move along.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: thackney
Thanks. That helps.

-PJ

22 posted on 09/07/2010 12:09:51 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too ("Comprehensive" reform bills only end up as incomprehensible messes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian

Unless they’ve been infiltrated or otherwise compromised. I’d hate to take bets on that, one way or the other.


23 posted on 09/07/2010 12:35:23 PM PDT by Pecos (Liberty and Honor will not die on my watch.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian

Unless they’ve been infiltrated or otherwise compromised. I’d hate to take bets on that, one way or the other.


24 posted on 09/07/2010 12:35:23 PM PDT by Pecos (Liberty and Honor will not die on my watch.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian

Another section of this plant did blow up years ago. Check it on Google earth, bits of it are all black.

The reports I saw said this was a hydrogen compressor that exploded.


25 posted on 09/07/2010 1:22:11 PM PDT by SoothingDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Pecos

What’s the motive? And where’s the money?

PEMEX and the drug dealers operate in different worlds.


26 posted on 09/07/2010 3:05:58 PM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Nothing to see here. Move along.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: thackney
Regarding your post 10: snort, lol

Regarding your post 12: thanks!

27 posted on 09/07/2010 4:41:13 PM PDT by theymakemesick ( Filled with hatred for those that disagree, democrats are the most intolerant bigots on earth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian
If this were a TV show, the heroes would come to the conclusion that Los Zetas were providing a show of force to convince the Mexican government to back off and let them have free rein on the U.S. border.

Maybe I've watched too many episodes of NCIS [There is no such thing as too many episodes of NCIS!], and poor/dangerous operating procedures can be found everywhere you look. All I was suggesting in my first post was that a cross-check is always a good idea these days.

28 posted on 09/08/2010 3:41:15 AM PDT by Pecos (Liberty and Honor will not die on my watch.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson