Small explosion shakes refinery

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

A small explosion at the Tesoro Alaska Petroleum Co. refinery in Nikiski the afternoon of May 17 caused no injuries and didn’t slow production, company officials say.

Welders were installing a metal liner in an oily water drainage canal at the time of the explosion, said Tesoro spokesman Ron Noel.

“At this time I can’t tell you exactly what happened, but vapors may have traveled along (the canal) and ignited in the sump,” Noel said.

He said the explosion in the lead-lined underground sump chamber was like a flash fire. “It made a big ‘whump’ noise.”

He said there was no subsequent fire associated with the blast and operations at the refinery were not affected.