One dead in fuel tank accident at LA refinery
Mon Apr 10, 2006 04:20 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A worker was killed at ConocoPhillips’ oil refinery in Los Angeles on Monday after the roof of a naphtha fuel storage tank collapsed, a fire department official said.
Four other workers were injured in the incident, Battalion Chief Lou Roupoli said. While a portion of the plant was closed, production at the 140,000 barrel per day Wilmington oil refinery continued normally after the accident, Roupoli said.
ConocoPhillips officials were not immediately available for comment. “About 9:30 a.m. a floating roof tank collapsed while workers were doing planned maintenance,” said Roupoli. As product is taken from the storage tank, a “floating” roof lowers. The workers held up the roof with jacks and one of the jacks collapsed, Roupoli said.