Butane safety
At the BP Cherry Point Refinery we work with industrial chemicals and flammable liquids every day. We take pride in our safety systems and performance record. Rest assured, we want to go home healthy every day, and we also want our friends and neighbors to be protected.
Overview
The world we live in today is an industrial one. All around us people make, move and use products created from chemicals and flammable liquids that can be hazardous to humans. As a result, there is a remote possibility that a hazardous or flammable chemical could be spilled during a train derailment, a freeway accident or a manufacturing incident.
At BP Cherry Point we have emergency plans, safety systems and training in place to handle emergencies. Some of these are required by federal and state laws. Other prevention and protection measures are what we do beyond the rules to protect ourselves and others. Examples of our safety controls include leak detectors, warning alarms and automatic shutdowns.
What you should know about butane
Butane is produced at the BP Cherry Point Refinery as a byproduct of the refining process. Butane is a Liquefied Petroleum Product (LPG). It is also a basic building block used in the manufacture of many common products as well as a heat and fuel source.
Most commonly, butane is used as a heat source. Second to that, butane is used as a feedstock in the production of other industrial chemical products. Gas barbecue grills and home heating systems are some common household uses for butane. While called propane, the fuel in your portable gas barbecue tank or larger home heating tank is actually a mixture of butane and propane. Another common use for butane is in fueling the torches that plumbers use to join copper tubing and the small cylinders you use when camping or boating. Butane is also used as an appliance fuel, in air conditioning, refrigeration and industrial furnaces, and as a vehicle fuel.
Butane is non-toxic or non-poisonous. However, prolonged inhalation of a high concentration will have an anesthetic effect. This will make you feel light headed or intoxicated. Also, since butane can displace oxygen in the air, it can act as a simple asphyxiant. When butane in its liquid form contacts skin, it can freeze tissue.
At a normal temperature, butane is a flammable liquid. It will light off and explode readily as it reaches an ignition source. It normally doesn't form a large cloud.
BP Cherry Point Refinery has an outstanding safety record
The Federal Environmental Protection Agency requires companies to report releases of listed chemicals or flammables that can result in injuries or property damage. This is part of our required Risk Management Plan. In the past five years at BP Cherry Point Refinery, we have not had any LPG-related injuries or property damage.Accidental release scenarios
All BP Cherry Point Refinery personnel and contract personnel are trained to identify potential problems and to be aware of the dangers that accompany working with butane. To prepare our emergency response procedures, we develop and study accidental release scenes, including a "more realistic scenario" and a "worst-case scenario." This kind of preparation will help us react quickly in case an emergency ever does occur.
When trying to assess the damage potential from butane or any LPG explosives, experts talk in pounds-per-square-inch or psi over-pressure. At an over pressure of 1.0 psi, damage would be expected. Both of the scenarios below are based on an end-point of 1.0 psi. The chart below may help you understand the effects of over-pressure.
More realistic scenario
Butane is stored under pressure in a tank that looks like a large sphere. A release of butane would create a flammable vapor cloud near the ground. It would travel away from the release with the wind. As the cloud travels, it spreads out, becoming less concentrated. Most likely, the cloud would find an ignition source inside the refinery boundaries.
When we prepare a plan for the more realistic scenario we also make some assumptions. We know that this scenario is more likely to happen than a worst-case scenario and that our refinery control systems will work to minimize any release.
At BP Cherry Point, a more realistic release scenario would begin with a hose leak during the loading of a railroad tank car. In this type of accident, up to 150,000 pounds of butane would be released in 10 minutes. This would result in a butane cloud traveling away from the central refinery area until it reaches an ignition source. The resulting explosion would achieve a 1.0 psi over-pressure up to 0.29 miles away. The most severe effect would be felt inside the refinery boundary, however, the explosion would be felt outside the refinery.
Worst-case scenario
In suggesting a worst-case accident, we assume that all 6 million pounds is released from a storage tank. We also assume the LPG is released instantaneously. We do not consider any safety systems that would minimize the accident and suppose there is no wind to dilute the vapors.
As the cloud travels away from the central refinery it spreads out until it reaches an ignition source. The resulting explosion would achieve a 1.0 psi over-pressure up to 1.46 miles away, causing property damage beyond the refinery boundaries. The most severe effects would occur within this radius. Falling or flying objects from structures could injure people within 1.46 miles of the release.
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These scenarios have never happened at the BP Cherry Point Refinery. In fact, we have not had an accidental butane release or explosion at this refinery in more than 30 years of safe operation.
How BP Cherry Point prepares for emergencies
BP Cherry Point and other nearby chemical companies formed a relationship with local authorities to ensure your safety during a flammable release emergency. Our Local Emergency Planning Committee and other local emergency responders like the fire and police departments are familiar with our emergency plans.
BP Cherry Point conducts annual emergency response drills to prepare for the possibility of accidents such as those described above.
For more information
If you want to learn more about these accident scenarios or about our planning and prevention activities, please contact Public Affairs at the BP Cherry Point Refinery at (360) 371-1500.In this section
Butane safety
