Two people lost their lives due to a deadly hydrogen sulfide gas leak at Pemex‘s Deer Park oil refinery in Texas and up to 35 people were treated due to the exposure to deadly chemical gas, at the refinery or in nearby hospitals.
The refinery can process 312,500 barrels of oil per day, according to the county sheriff. It is said that contractors accidentally opened a line containing hydrogen sulfide, leading to the deadly exposure.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said a flange may have opened, releasing the gas, and it could take several hours for officials to safely enter the affected area.
The leak was reported around 4:40 pm CDT (2140 GMT). In response, Pemex shut down a 92,000-barrel-per-day coker and a hydrotreater.
During the incident, the contractors were working on a sulfur recovery unit (SRUs), which converts hydrogen sulfide into elemental sulfur.
After the leak, a nearby state highway was closed for several hours, and residents in Deer Park were told to stay indoors with their air conditioning turned off. The highway has since reopened, and the shelter-in-place order has been lifted.
Hydrogen sulfide is commonly produced in refineries and can be fatal if inhaled in high concentrations. Earlier that day, Pemex mentioned that maintenance activities might cause flaring, and they later announced plans to use safety flares due to the incident.
