Pasadena Refinery
A Brazilian based energy company called Petrobras was founded in 1953 in Rio de Janeiro. They are a major oil producer in their country, and in the mid 2000's they decided to spread their operations into America. By 2005 they were in the procedure of purchasing an oil refinery in Pasadena, Texas from the Astra Oil Company. This facility processes up to 100,000 barrels of crude oil on a daily basis, and was purchased for a total of $360 million.
Prior to this international deal, the Pasadena refinery faced a minor crisis. This was the result of having products made from a toxic substance on the premises. The substance was a naturally occurring material called asbestos, and it came in the form of industrial products such as rubber gaskets and insulation materials. At the time asbestos was a commonly accepted and sought after material for use in refineries, largely because it is able to hold together when it is used in very extreme temperatures. People had not discovered that it was also a hazardous material that can lead to respiratory diseases and cancer.
After these products had been used for many years, it was brought to light that asbestos was indeed extremely hazardous. Any exposure to it at all could lead to fatal diseases, and all products that contained the toxin had to be removed immediately. The work was done by certified crews who knew how to handle the materials without allowing them to spread even further. While the site is currently free from asbestos, those who were exposed may still be at risk, and are encouraged to seek medical attention for this reason.
Pasadena Refining System also had an issue to deal with following their purchase of the plant. In March of 2008 there was a malfunction within a steam boiler, and smoke and flames began to shoot out of the equipment. The fire was easily contained, and no one was injured, but the smoke that seeped was toxic and had to be dealt with carefully.
Inspectors believe the cause of the malfunction may have been a power outage that took place the month before. The outage forced the refinery to shut down temporarily, and could be the culprit that lead to the flare up. Parts from the boiler had to be replaced, and partial operation was shut down while the equipment was brought back up to code.
Last modified: December 09, 2009.
