Lok Sabha Question No. 4654 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-22
Subject: Fire Breakouts at Oil Storage Tanks
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Devusinh Jesingbhai Chauhan

## Fire Breakouts at Oil Storage Tanks

4654. SHRI DEVUSINH JESINGBHAI CHAUHAN:

पैट्रोल ियम और प्राक ृ तिक गैस मंत्री

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  fire  breakouts  at  Oil  Companies  storage  tanks  in  the country during the last three years and the current year, year-wise;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with loss of revenue incurred as a result thereof, location-wise;
- (c) the persons injured/killed in these accidents and the compensation/jobs  provided  to  the  victims/next  of  kin  of  the deceased;
- (d) the oil companies/persons found responsible for such incidents and the action taken by the Government against them; and
- (e)  the  effective  measures  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to prevent such incidents in future?

## A N S W E R

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## MINISTER OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a) to (e) The details of the fire breakouts reported by three Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies at their storage tanks in the country during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year  are  at Annexure- I, Annexure-II and Annexure-III.

Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  parts  (a)  to  (e)  of  the  Lok  Sabha unstarred question No. 4654 asked by Shri Devusinh Jesingbhai Chauhan  for  answer  on  22.07.2019  regarding  Fire  Breakouts  at  Oil Storage Tanks.

The  details  of  the  fire  breakouts  at  IOCL  storage  tanks  during  the  last three years and current year, year wise are as under:

| Year                      | No. of Fire Outbreaks in Oil Storages   | No. of Persons Injured   | No of fatalities   | Compensation paid ( ₹ in lakhs)   | Loss of revenue ( ₹ in lakhs)   |
|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 2016-17                   | Nil                                     | NA                       | NA                 | NA                                | NA                              |
| 2017-18                   | Nil                                     | NA                       | NA                 | NA                                | NA                              |
| 2018-19                   | 1                                       | Nil                      | Nil                | Nil                               | 400                             |
| 2019-20 (Till 16.07.2019) | Nil                                     | NA                       | NA                 | NA                                | NA                              |

NA- Not Applicable

IOCL  has  informed  that  at  Barauni  Refinery  on  28 th April,  2018,  a  fire broke out in CRU (NSU) feed tank 251 due to over filling which resulted in lifting of external floating roof and hitting tank internal generating spark. The fire was controlled within one hour. The fire incident at Barauni refinery was investigated by a Committee constituted by Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) and also by  Internal  Committee  of  Indian  Oil.  All  the  recommendations  have  been complied  with  at  Barauni  Refinery.  IOCL  has  also  informed  that  disciplinary proceedings  were  initiated  against  07  IOCL  employees.  Major  penalty  was awarded to 1 employee and minor penalty on 2 employees. Recordable warning was issued to 4 employees.

## Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  parts  (a)  to  (e)  of  the  Lok  Sabha unstarred question No. 4654 asked by Shri Devusinh Jesingbhai Chauhan  for  answer  on  22.07.2019  regarding  Fire  Breakouts  at  Oil Storage Tanks.

The  details  of  the  fire  breakouts  at  BPCL  storage  tanks  during  the  last three years and current year, year wise are as under:

| Year                      | No. of Fire Outbreaks in Oil Storages   | No. of Persons Injured   | No of fatalities   | Compensati on paid ( ₹ in lakhs)   | Loss of revenue ( ₹ in lakhs)   |
|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 2016-17                   | 1                                       | 3                        | 2                  | 185                                | 1305                            |
| 2017-18                   | 1                                       | Nil                      | Nil                | Nil                                | 8403                            |
| 2018-19                   | Nil                                     | NA                       | NA                 | NA                                 | NA                              |
| 2019-20 (Till 16.07.2019) | Nil                                     | NA                       | NA                 | NA                                 | NA                              |

NA- Not Applicable

BPCL has informed that in the year 2016-17, at Budge Budge terminal,West  Bengal  on  23 rd   January,2017,  Motor  Spirit  (MS)  was  being transferred from one tank to another tank in order to empty the tank for tank cleaning  and  disposal.  During  the  product  transfer,  when  the  tank  was  almost empty,  there  was  a  fire  in  the  tank  resulting  in  serious  burn  injuries  to  two Officers  and  three  contract  workmen.  One  Officer  and  one  contract  workmen succumbed to injuries in the subsequent days. The reason for above fire incident was (i) violations in the work permit system and  (ii) use of Non FLP main switch and  MCB  combination  and  fitted  very  close  to  the  tank.  BPCL  has  issued chargesheet  and  taken  disciplinary  action  against  two  officers.  BPCL  has  also made Holiday listing of contractor for Engineering Jobs.

In  the  year  2017-18  at  Marine  Oil  Tank  (MOT)  on  6 th October,  2017  at about  16:25  hrs.  during  heavy  rains  and  thunderstorm,  there  was  an  intense lightning strike in the BPCL tank farm area at MOT. At the same time, Tank No. 13 on HSD Service caught fire on the roof. In order to reduce risk from fire and to salvage the product from MOT, product from Tank No. 13 (Tank on fire) and adjacent  HSD  Tanks  Nos.  12  and  14  were  evacuated.  The  balance  product  in Tank No. 13 was allowed to burn off in controlled environment.

In order to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future BPCL has leveraged use of Technology for improving the safety and prevent such incidents in future. The  initiative taken  by BPCL  are  (i) utilization of software solutions for Implementing Online Work permit system and Online Incident Reporting System, (ii)  conduct  of  hazard  and  operability  study (HAZOP)  &  Quick  Reaction  Alert (QRA) for any modification in the existing plants, (iii) live Fire Fighting training to all  Officers  and  staff,  (iv)  automation  of  operations  in  its  operating  plants,  (v) Pipeline  leak  detection  system  like  Supervisory  control  and  data  acquisition (SCADA) in pipeline operations, (vi) safety programmable logic controller (PLC) based Fire fighting system at locations etc.

Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  parts  (a)  to  (e)  of  the  Lok  Sabha unstarred question No. 4654 asked by Shri Devusinh Jesingbhai Chauhan  for  answer  on  22.07.2019  regarding  Fire  Breakouts  at  Oil Storage Tanks.

The  details  of  the  fire  breakouts  at  HPCL  storage  tanks  during  the  last three years and current year, year wise are as under:

| Year                      | No. of Fire Outbreaks in Oil Storages   | No. of Persons Injured   | No of fatalities   | Compensation paid ( ₹ in lakhs)   | Loss of revenue ( ₹ in lakhs)   |
|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 2016-17                   | Nil                                     | NA                       | NA                 | NA                                | NA                              |
| 2017-18                   | 1                                       | Nil                      | Nil                | Nil                               | Nil                             |
| 2018-19                   | Nil                                     | NA                       | NA                 | NA                                | NA                              |
| 2019-20 (Till 16.07.2019) | Nil                                     | NA                       | NA                 | NA                                | NA                              |

NA- Not Applicable

HPCL has informed that On 29 th  July,2017 heavy thunder clouds started gathering  above  Visakh  Refinery  and  lightning  with  moderate  rain  starting  at about  18:20  hrs.  At  around  18.39  Hrs,  a  lightning  struck  on  crude  tank  01D. Alarms on the control room panel and the F&S repeater panel indicated fire on the rim seal of the tank. Fire trucks and foam tenders reached site immediately and the fire was effectively controlled and extinguished by 1915 hours.

There was no human error or negligence or departmental unsafe practice involved in this incident. The fire was due to lightning strike and was effectively controlled with the fire protection facilities without any loss.

In order to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future HPCL has ensured fire protection systems as per the OISD standard 116 and also functionality/reliability of the installed Rim seal fire protection system checking.

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