3 Dec 2019
Distillation tower at the plant has toppled in aftermath of blast, TPC Group has reported
Port Neches, Texas – A fire caused by a 27 Nov explosion at a Port Neches facility of raw materials supplier TPC Group Inc. was still ongoing on 2 Dec, according to the company’s latest update.
Response measures are ongoing, and the fire continues to be contained, said TPC Group, which has set up a Port Neches Response portal offering fresh updates as well as emotional and claims support to those affected by the incident.
According to the company, a distillation tower at the plant fell in the evening of 30 Nov as a result of the ongoing fire.
The company said it had anticipated the collapse of the tower and response teams managed the action accordingly.
"No one was injured and there were no offsite impacts," the company added
Three were injured on 27 Nov after an explosion in a processing unit at the butadiene plant.
The company is investigating the cause of the incident.
TPC has 426 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) of butadiene extraction capacity at its Port Neches facility, with a further 417ktpa at its Houston plant, together representing 34% of US butadiene capacity, according to IHS Markit data.
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