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Natech Accident
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Natech Accident
2002/11/25
20 hour(s)
Heavy Rainfall, Morocco, 2002
Samir Mohammedia Refinery, Morocco
Published

Units Involved

  1. Refinery storage tanks
    Storage: Atmospheric storage tank
    The affected storage tanks stored hydrocarbons at atmospheric temperature and pressure and had floating roofs.
  2. Drainage system
    Other: Waste disposal
  3. Refinery
    Other: Other
    The Mohammedia refinery had a production capacity of 125,000 barrels per day at the time of the accident. It is Morocco's biggest refinery.

Event Sequences

  1. Damage to storage tank roofs
    1. Refinery storage tanks
    Initiating EventCritical EventMajor Event
    Natural Hazard: Sinking of floating roofs
    According to the initial findings of an accident investigation, the roof of one of the floating roof storage tanks buckled and another cracked during the heavy rains.
    Release: Gas, vapour, mist, or smoke release to air
    		-
  2. Lifting of waste oil from the drainage system
    2. Drainage system
    Initiating EventCritical EventMajor Event
    Natural Hazard: Floating oil in drainage systems due to inundation
    Waste oil in the refinery's drainage system was lifted by the flood which reached a height of 1m at the refinery.
    Contributing Factors
    Organisational: Maintenance: Inadequate
    According to refinery staff representatives maintenance at the refinery had suffered due to cost cutting. This contributed to the accidental release of 65,000 tons of crude oil from a tank 9 days prior to the flood. The spilled crude blocked the sewers.
    		-
    Dispersion: Rapid spread of oil and / or chemicals due to water flow
    The flammable hydrocarbons lifted by the flood got distributed all over the refinery with the floodwaters.
    Event Sequence: Refinery fires
  3. Refinery fires
    3. Refinery
    Initiating EventCritical EventMajor Event
    Natural Hazard: Sparking
    Due to the flooding of the refinery's facilities, short circuits occurred that provided an ignition source.
    Event Sequence: Lifting of waste oil from the drainage system
    		-
    Fire: Conflagration
    The waste oil floating on the surface of the floodwaters ignited upon contact with hot refinery components, resulting in a violent fire.
    Explosion: Unknown
    Several explosions occurred. These involved tanks, electrical equipment (transformers) and piping. 70% of the refinery's power plant was destroyed.

Emergency Response

Regional / national fire fighting teams
Due to the high water levels, which reached 1m at a site at the refinery, production was stopped around 16:00. At around 20:00, two fire areas still persisted in the gas and crude oil sectors of the refinery.

The fires burned for ca. 20 hours. Fire-fighting resources employed were ca. 3.5 million m3 of water 30 tons of foam, etc. Firemen were mobilised from the entire Mohammedia region.

Consequences

2
4
No risks of gaseous emissions or other hazards were reported for off-site areas.
200 M USD
Due to the significant damage caused by the fires and explosions, the refinery had to suspend its activities. The operator said it would take the refinery 9 to 13 months to re-establish full output capacity.

The operator estimates the costs due to the material damage at 200 million $US. 96% of this is covered by insurance.
With the shutting down of the Mohammedia refinery which produces 80-90% of Morocco's refined petroleum products, the country resorted to international markets to buy jet fuel, gas oil and butane to make sure that supplies would be sufficient.

Remedial Activities

A crisis unit chaired by the Moroccan Home Secretary was set up to coordinate relief efforts for the flood victims and those near the refinery fire.

France dispatched a technical operations team in the days following the refinery accident.
ID: 41, Created: Bogdan DORNEANU, 2014-02-17 13:23:47 – Last Updated: Elisabeth KRAUSMANN, 2014-07-08 15:21:59

Attachments

NoDescriptionFile Size
1.ARIA 23637538.14KB
2.Daily Times: Morocco refinery to run 100% in 9-13 months, 86.32KB
3.Engineering News, M. Czernowalow (ed.)86.99KB
4.Huge fire in Moroccan oil refinery under control 4.08KB
5.Middle East Online: Morocco to import oil after refinery fire 43.48KB
6.Relief Web: Morocco - Floods OCHA Situation Report No. 14.08KB
Last update: 2024/04/17 | Top