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North Pole Refinery - Petro Star

Petro Star operates a refinery in North Pole, Alaska. The site produces kerosene, jet fuel and diesel gasoline, and has an operating capacity of 17,000 barrels of crude oil on a daily basis. This facility was opened in 1996, and runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The owners of the North Pole refinery have cooperated with local fire fighters to make sure they are fully prepared to deal with a blaze at the plant should the need ever occur. Dealing with a fire that stems from gasoline or any other petroleum based product is far different and much more complex than the usual type of fires that are extinguished by professional crews. Putting out these blazes requires special training and equipment. In May of 2008, a liquid fuel was set aflame near the refinery to simulate a disaster situation. Local fire fighters worked together to contain the blaze and better understand how to deal with a scenario of fire within an oil refinery.

Because the North Pole plant was started up in 1996, the facility had the benefit of utilizing the most advanced safety measures and environmental controls available. Many modernized systems of emissions control and safety standards have been established over the years, and Petro Star built the North Pole work site with these high tech improvements in mind. The plant has been a safe and environmentally friendly facility, but there was one major problem found within the plant: the presence of asbestos.

Asbestos is a strong material that is made up of tiny fibers which can hold together under great heat. This made it a popular ingredient in products used within hundreds of oil refineries, because they produce very high temperature conditions. Eventually, however, these products would start to break apart, and that would release the fibers into the air. People who worked at the plant then became subject to unknowingly inhaling these small bits of asbestos, and that can be deadly. When asbestos gets inside of a respiratory system, it will do extensive damage and cause great harm. It can also cause cancer, most notably an often terminal disease called Mesothelioma. Anyone who worked in or around the North Pole plant is strongly cautioned to seek out medical attention and notify their doctor about the risk of exposure to this toxic material.

Last modified: December 09 2009.