Oil & Gas Facility Safety

In the late 1990’s, at an oil refinery in the Midwest, a pipe containing combustible material burst, resulting in a fire plume15 feet above ground. The fire’s intense heat threatened to breech a nearby tank within the refinery that contained hundreds of gallons of hydrofluoric acid.

Immediately recognizing the seriousness of the situation, plant employees sought to move the acid to another tank away from the fire. A cable tray containing critical control circuitry required to send diverting signals to valves had been exposed to the fire. This circuitry needed to stay operational to allow refinery employees to quickly and safely transfer the acid. Fortunately 3M Interam Endothermic Mat (3M E-mat) had been installed to protect the cable tray, helping reduce the danger to employees and nearby residents.