Oil/Gas Facilities Incidents
Oil/gas facility fires are always caused by the same thing:
Flammable vapors and an ignition source came too close!
Mr. Harris has investigated over 350 explosions and fires in oil fields and refineries. He is a court-qualified explosion expert in State and Federal courts.
His Chemical Engineering education provided specific training in oil and gas processes. His experience with and knowledge of hydrocarbons, liquid/gas interfaces, heat transfer, static electricity, extreme pressures and depths, allow him to focus on the important issues and quickly ascertain the cause.
Unlike residential explosions, the cause of an oil facility fire can be either the ignition source or the fuel, depending on the job and the circumstances.
The main question is:
What went wrong to bring the flammable gas and ignition source together?
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Was the proper procedure used?
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Did they abide by the codes, regulations, and their own manuals?
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Did something break?
Mr. Harris's superior analytical skills and experience allow him to weed through the false assumptions, to “read between the lines” in the depositions, and to accurately determine the root causes and responsibility for the incident.
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See my article: Oil/Gas Industry Safety Considerations
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This video portrays how a worn-out hose fitting caused a refinery fire and explosions.
Graphic courtesy of Fay Engineering.