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Motiva Port Arthur FCC, Alky, HCU back in production -sources

Feb 9th, 2012
by John Donovan.
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HOUSTON | Wed Feb 8, 2012 8:58pm EST

Feb 8 (Reuters) – Motiva Enterprises’ 285,000 barrel per day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery returned a gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit, an alkylation unit and a hydrocracking unit to production on Wednesday following a Tuesday power outage, said sources familiar with refinery operations.

The units were ramping up to full production rates on Wednesday night, the sources said. A brief power outage on Tuesday morning knocked the units out of production, according to a notice the refinery filed with Texas pollution regulators.

Motiva is a 50-50 joint venture between Saudi Refining and Shell Oil Co, the U.S. unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

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Motiva Port Arthur refinery hit by power outage -sources

Feb 8th, 2012
by John Donovan.
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Tue Feb 7, 2012 6:27pm GMT

HOUSTON Feb 7 (Reuters) – Motiva Enterprises’ 285,000 barrel per day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery was hit by a brief power interruption on Tuesday morning, according to sources familiar with refinery operations.

Among the units affected by the power interruption was the refinery’s gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit, the sources said.

The Motiva Port Arthur refinery is a 50-50 joint venture between Saudi Refining and Shell Oil Co, Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s U.S. unit.

© Thomson Reuters 2012 All rights reserved

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RELATED POSING ON SHELL BLOG Wednesday 8 Feb 2012 by GoldenTriangle Watchman:

With all of this money spent on the CEP expansion, it has been built on an old electrical infrastructure. I guess no one is counting how many times you read about a “short” electrical outage at the plant. Tom Purves and the Motiva leadership know exactly why this is happening and how to fix it. They don’t want to pay for it. They have been given the project and have turned it down at least twice. Meanwhile, we just keep having outages. Going ot be interesting when both refineries come down in the future.

Oil bargaining heads toward wire

Jan 31st, 2012
by John Donovan.
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Hamilton said the industry, represented by Shell Oil Co., also hasn’t budged on health and safety provisions the union wants in its new three-year contract.

By Dan Wallach, DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.com (409) 838-2876

Published 02:46 p.m., Monday, January 30, 2012

The national oil contract bargaining is heading toward a midnight Tuesday deadline, but the two sides seem far apart on pay and safety rules, a local union member said today.

Eric Hamilton, chairman of the workmen’s committee at the Motiva Enterprises Port Arthur refinery, said the industry side to date has offered a pay increase of between 1.5 percent and 2 percent a year.

“That’s ludicrous,” he said. “They make billions and billions a year.”

The national oil contract would cover about 30,000 union oil refinery workers who produce about two-thirds of the nation’s gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. In Southeast Texas, there are about 3,000 unionized workers at the four motor fuels refineries. Along the Gulf Coast, there are about 9,000 unionized workers covered by the contract.

Hamilton said the industry, represented by Shell Oil Co., also hasn’t budged on health and safety provisions the union wants in its new three-year contract.

The provisions would require refiners to install newer, safer equipment and to cut down on overtime that causes worker fatigue.

Hamilton said the industry has favored fatigue provisions that are part of American Petroleum Institute guidelines.

“At Motiva, we’ve been following a stronger standard that what API has,” Hamilton said.

Refinery union members – part of the United Steelworkers – in November had already authorized a strike in case there is no agreement reached.

On Saturday, the United Steelworkers said, “The United Steelworkers union warned that a strike by U.S. refinery workers as early as 12 a.m. Wednesday was becoming more likely due to the lack of a more substantive response from the industry.”

On Sunday, the union offered this terse update: “Contracts talks are ongoing this evening. The union and the company continue to meet to try and reach an agreement.”

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Shell Oil Company dumped toxic chemicals into waterway for over 60 yrs

Jan 21st, 2012
by John Donovan.
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A Shell Oil Co. refinery dumped wastewater into the bayou for more than 60 years, lacing the mucky bottom with toxic chemicals and heavy metals.

DEQ says Bayou Trepagnier, one of state’s most polluted waterways, has been cleaned up

NORCO, La. — The state Department of Environmental Quality says one of Louisiana‘s most polluted waterways has been cleaned up. It’s Bayou Trepagnier (trep-AN’-yay) in Norco.

A Shell Oil Co. refinery dumped wastewater into the bayou for more than 60 years, lacing the mucky bottom with toxic chemicals and heavy metals.

The current owner, Motiva Enterprises LLC, agreed in 2008 to a $10 million cleanup plan.

DEQ says contaminated soil at the end nearest the refinery was removed as an 800-foot-wide “clean zone.”

It says that for another 6,000 feet of the bayou, sediments were solidified and stabilized, then capped with heavy clay. DEQ says about 43,000 yards of clay were used for that and to build access roads.

The bayou is a state scenic waterway.

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DEQ: cleanup completed at Bayou Trepagnier 21 Jan 2012 09:24 GMT Daily Comet Online

Cleanup of Bayou Trepagnier in Norco is complete, DEQ says 21 Jan 2012 02:33 GMT NOLA.com

Age discrimination suit against Motiva set for summer trial

Jan 4th, 2012
by John Donovan.
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As previously reported, Tyler resident Kurt Floersheim filed suit against his former employer, Motiva, on April 15 in Jefferson County District Court, alleging he was laid off so that two younger men could replace him.


1/4/2012 11:59 AM By David Yates

If the case is not mediated by May 14, an age discrimination suit against Motiva Enterprises will go to trial in June.

As previously reported, Tyler resident Kurt Floersheim filed suit against his former employer, Motiva, on April 15 in Jefferson County District Court, alleging he was laid off so that two younger men could replace him.

Court records show that a discovery control plan order was entered in the case on Oct. 13, calling for the case to be mediated by May 14, and also placing the litigation on the court’s June trial docket.

The incident began on June 15, 2009, when Motiva informed Floersheim that he was being included in a reduction in force. He alleges that the day after he was laid off, Motiva hired two younger specialists to replace him.

“Defendant’s selection process for its reduction in force resulted in the three oldest engineers being laid off (ages 50-65),” the suit states. “No process engineers under 40 were laid off.”

Floersheim is suing for his emotional pain and lost wages.

Houston attorney Gregg Rosenberg represents him.

Motiva is represented by attorney Robert Hambright of the Orgain, Bell & Tucker law firm in Beaumon.

Judge Bob Wortham, 58th District Court, is assigned to the case.

Case No. A189-793

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Expanded Motiva Port Arthur Refinery will be largest in North America

Jan 2nd, 2012
by John Donovan.
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By Dan Wallach DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.com (409) 838-2876

Monday, January 2, 2012

Motiva Enterprises Port Arthur refinery is aiming for completion of its massive Crude Expansion Project, worth at least $7 billion. The project sought to more than double the size of the refinery to a daily capacity of 600,000 barrels of product.

Refinery spokeswoman Verna Rutherford said although some units are still under construction, other units have been completed and are in the process of being handed over to operations at the refinery, with product-in-tank in the first quarter of 2012.

When the refinery expansion is complete, it will be the largest refinery in North America.

Motiva Enterprises toxic environmental record

Nov 25th, 2011
by John Donovan.
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The following information is in the form of extracts from a recent report produced by Louisiana Bucket Brigade environmental health and justice organization.

Louisiana refineries averaged one accident per day in 2010. There was a total of 354 reported accidents which released more than 975,000 pounds and 225,000 gallons of pollution.

Refineries rely too heavily on contract workers. There are simply not enough full-time workers on staff. Deferred maintenance and inadequate safety management significantly contributed to accidents, according to refineries’ own reports and testimony from the United Steelworkers.

During 2010, Motiva’s refinery in Norco reported seven accidents involving the same DU-5 unit, resulting in a total of 18,500 pounds of emissions. The largest accident happened in January, when a fire resulted in the shutdown of three refinery units, one worker injury and more than 17,000 pounds of toxic air emissions, including sulfur dioxide.

LDEQ’s report states that the “facility failed to perform operating procedures to prevent or reduce air pollution” as required by state regulations.3 In their final follow-up report, Motiva listed this accident as preventable with no further explanation.

After January, there were five more accidents at the DU-5 unit. These accidents illustrate a serious pattern.

On March 2, Motiva’s refinery in Norco experienced an emergency shutdown of two units. During the subsequent re-starting of these units, a pilot light was unlit resulting in heavy flaring which released 100,016 pounds of emissions, including highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs), flammable gas and VOCs. Motiva’s follow-up report states that “Motiva was not able to determine the cause, but … severe weather conditions may have contributed to the loss of pilot flame.”1

On June 15, Motiva’s refinery in Norco reported a leaking pipe due to external corrosion. More than 250 gallons of naphtha (crude oil) spilled into the Mississippi River, upriver from New Orleans’ drinking water intake. Motiva classified the release as preventable, citing the discovery of “inadequate coating [to prevent external corrosion] on the blistered section of the piping.”1

Shell Chemical’s facility in Norco reported 19 accidents in 2010. Shell Chemical shares equipment with Motiva Enterprises refinery with the two facilities often routing chemicals to each other’s flares during accidents. Motiva’s refinery reported accidents which caused flaring at Shell Chemical 10 times, while accidents at Shell Chemical caused flaring at Motiva seven times.

Motiva Port Arthur reports FCC upset -filing

Nov 23rd, 2011
by John Donovan.
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HOUSTON | Tue Nov 22, 2011 11:17pm GMT

Nov 22 (Reuters) – Motiva Enterprises’ 285,000 barrel per day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery reported a malfunction on Tuesday in a gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit, according to a notice filed with Texas pollution regulators.

During the correction of a heat imbalance, FCC No. 3 experienced a malfunction in the debutanizer column, according to the notice filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The unit began flaring to correct the overpressure.

Motiva is a joint venture between Saudi Refining and Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L). (Reporting by Erwin Seba; editing by Bob Burgdorfer)

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Motiva refinery worker files discrimination lawsuit

Nov 23rd, 2011
by John Donovan.
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11/23/2011 12:37 PM By Michelle Keahey

A refinery worker has filed a lawsuit that claims he is a victim of discrimination after he was wrongfully accused of committing a rule violation and fired.

Boyd Weber filed suit against Motiva Enterprises – Norco Refinery on Nov. 11 in federal court in New Orleans.

Weber was employed as a process technician by the defendant and states he was wrongfully accused of committing a lifesaving rule violation on Jan. 15, 2010. As a result, he was terminated on Jan. 22, 2010, the suit claims.

After his termination, he learned that a black process technician had actually committed a lifesaving rule violation on Feb. 23, 2010, but was not fired for his offense. In May 2011, Weber learned that another black process technician committed a lifesaving rule violation and was also not terminated.

Weber states his termination was an act of unlawful discrimination.

The plaintiff is asking the court for an award of back pay, benefits, reinstatement, front pay, benefits, compensatory damages for emotional distress, mental anguish, humiliation, embarrassment and defamation, attorney’s fees and court costs.

Weber is represented by Baton Rouge attorney Dan M. Scheuermann.

U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier is assigned to the case.

Case No. 2:11-cv-02817

Legal Complaint Filed November 2011

Charge of Discrimination Filing November 2011

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Motiva refinery expansion workers being cut -report

Nov 23rd, 2011
by John Donovan.
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HOUSTON Nov 22 (Reuters) – Layoffs will begin this month for construction workers on a southeast Texas refinery expansion project as the work nears completion, according to a local media report.

About 500 construction workers employed on the Motiva Enterprises Port Arthur, Texas, refinery expansion were told their jobs will end this month, according to a report on the Beaumont Enterprise website.

A total of 13,500 people have worked on the $5 billion project that will make the refinery the largest in the United States at 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) by the end of the first quarter in 2012.

The refinery’s current capacity is 285,000 bpd.

Motiva is a joint venture between Saudi Refining and Royal Dutch Shell Plc .

© Thomson Reuters 2011 All rights reserved

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