Tag: energy

What Does It Cost to Convert an Alkylation Unit From HF?

The exact cost for Big West Oil’s conversion of its HF alkylation unit to Honeywell UOP’s ISOALKY technology at its North Salt Lake refinery has not been widely disclosed in public announcements by the companies involved.

However, a report referencing a 2017 article in the Oil & Gas Journal indicated that the retrofit for a similar project at the nearby Chevron Salt Lake City refinery (the first complete conversion) had an estimated cost of about $67 – $87 million.

Big West Oil announced in November 2021 that it had selected the ISOALKY technology for the revamp of its existing HF unit. Project costs for conversions of this nature can vary based on the specific refinery’s size, scope of work, and capacity.

How much for the conversion at Wynnewood from HF to KSAAT?

The publicly estimated cost for the conversion of the Hydrofluoric (HF) acid alkylation unit to KBR’s Solid Acid Alkylation Technology (K-SAAT) at CVR Energy’s Wynnewood refinery has been cited in company updates and regulatory filings.

CVR Energy originally estimated the overall capital investment for the HF mitigation and yield-enhancement project at Wynnewood to be about $90 million.

More recently, a CVR Energy executive stated that the company now expects the total cost of the project to be $135 million to $140 million.

This project involves replacing the existing HF Reactor/Settler section with the K-SAAT solid acid technology, which is intended to increase alkylate yield and eliminate the use of liquid hydrofluoric acid for safety and environmental benefits.

These actual costs are a tiny fraction of the claims made by the local refineries, and demonstrate their lack of objectivity about the matter. Why should we believe them?

NRDC and Others Sue EPA over HF

Community and environmental groups filed suit to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address the threat of an unnecessary and dangerous chemical used in dozens of American refineries despite its potential to form toxic acid clouds.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Clean Air Council (CAC) and Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) are filing the suit after the EPA rejected the groups’ petition to address the needless risks from use of hydrogen fluoride (HF)—an extremely corrosive chemical that, if released to the air, can form a lethal, ground-hugging plume that can travel for miles, causing severe injury or death to anyone in its path. More than forty oil refineries across the country—currently owned by companies including ExxonMobil, Marathon, Valero, and Delta Airlines, among others—use HF.

TRAA has been collaborating on this effort for over a year and a half. We are not a client but a collaborator and encouraged by the filing of this lawsuit.

Read more from the NRDC Press Release.

2 dead, 35 injured after chemical leak of hydrogen sulfide at Texas oil refinery

From USA Today, Oct 11, 2024 At least two people are dead, and nearly three dozen others suffered injuries after a chemical leak at an oil refinery Thursday, prompting a shelter-in-place order for two East Texas cities, officials said.

The leak took place at Pemex Deer Park, about 18 miles east of Houston, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.

Also the local news station reported: Following a release of chemicals at the PEMEX facility in Deer Park, several surrounding residents sought medical treatment, according to Houston attorney Ryan Zehl.

“They started experiencing headaches, nausea, irritation, shortness of breath, symptoms typically associated with hydrogen sulfide poisoning,” Zehl said. “And so, they went to go get medical treatment and it turned out they were diagnosed with hydrogen sulfide poisoning.”

Zehl said he is representing six people form the surrounding neighborhood and he is also speaking with contractors working in the facility at the time of the release.

“What we know so far is that a valve opened that shouldn’t have opened and released hydrogen sulfide,” Zehl said.

This last statement shows the peril of storing massive amounts of deadly hazardous materials. In addition to natural disasters, accidents and sabotage threats, a simple mistake can kill. And HF is far more deadly than the hydrogen sulfide in this event.

TRAA Rally Marks 9th Anniversary of Refinery Explosion

TRAA held a successful rally and march on Saturday, thanks to the many efforts of Isabel Douvan Schwartz, Zach Badaouie, Steve Goldsmith and numerous others.

Headline speaker Rep. Maxine Waters gave a rousing speech, as did local activists and politicians. Breaking news: Rep Waters announced that she will raise a bill in the House to force a conversion from HF. After music and speeches, the crowd marched from Columbia Park to the refinery entrance to show them we are still serious in our demand that the PBF Refinery convert from HF/MHF to one of the several “commercially proven, vastly safer alternatives.

A Los Angeles Times article proclaimed “Torrance residents fear continued use of hydrofluoric acid at Torrance Refinery endangers community“, and gave a very positive review of the rally. It also included a PBF statement “We are aware of the misleading and inaccurate claims by the activist group, which they have been making for years,” . TRAA uses only information provide by the oil industry, government agencies or highly vetted experts. We would welcome a dialogue with PBF for them to identify the “misleading statements” so we can clarify or correct any errors. We also want to learn the contents of their report on alternative chemicals that was required by October 2022 and has been hidden by them and the Torrance Fire Department.

In a response to the LA Times article, we wrote the following letter to the editor:

Thanks for your February 17th article on Torrance Refinery Action Alliance’s community demonstration for conversion from deadly chemical HF/MHF used at only two refineries in California — both in LA County — to a vastly safer, commercially-proven alternative. Congressmember Maxine Waters broke the news that she would introduce legislation echoing the words of AG Rob Bonta “to drive the remaining hydrofluoric acid-using refineries to identify and implement safer alternatives”

Torrance Refinery owner PBF, dismissed TRAA as “activists making mis-leading statements.” Statements found on http://www.TRAA.website are from industry, government, or highly-vetted expert sources. We challenge PBF to give specifics on these “misleading statements”, so we can clarify or correct. We advocate for transparency and accountability so why are they hiding the reports required by state regulation on proven safer alternatives.

US Chemical Safety Board states that a large HF release nearly occurred in Torrance in 2015 possibly killing thousands. They urge converting to a vastly safer commercially proven alternative. To us these are not misleading statements, they’re chilling!  

Steven Goldsmith, President, Torrance Refinery Action Alliance