After an extensive fire broke out in the refinery unit of Hindustan Petroleum Ltd., which was to be inaugurated the very next day, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Mr. Bhajan Lal Sharma, visited the site and met the officers concerned after reaching there on Tuesday morning and spent around two-and-a-half hours at the spot.
The Chief Minister examined the site of fire. Meanwhile, a team comprising members of NIA and the Petroleum Ministry had come from Delhi to conduct an investigation into the incident.
According to HPCL, preliminary investigations indicate that a hydrocarbon leak from a valve in the heat exchanger circuit caused the fire in the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU). The CDU unit, worth approximately Rs 3,000 crore, has suffered significant damage in the fire.
Fire was confined to the heat exchanger stack. However, as a safety measure, the entire unit was closed immediately. No significant damage was caused to other parts of the refinery.
HPCL and Petroleum Ministry officials believe that it may take about four to five months for the refinery to recover.
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The CDU is the main part of the refinery. Crude oil is refined in this unit. A hydrocarbon leak occurred in the heat exchanger circuit, leading to a fire.
According to experts, the heat exchanger in the CDU is responsible for heating or cooling crude oil products at high temperatures without mixing them, thereby saving energy.
It has very high temperatures on one side and very low pressure on the other. Under high pressure, hydrocarbon leaked through a small hole and ignited the fire.
The refinery, built at a cost of ₹97,450 crore, was scheduled to be inaugurated on Tuesday. Officials may be held accountable after the fire.
It should be noted that testing had been underway at the refinery for three months. Testing had been conducted prior to the incident, but the negligence is a matter of concern.
This unit is automated and has a warning system, but the alarm did not sound before the hydrocarbon leak from the heat exchanger.
