1 Killed, 1 Missing in Refinery Blast

One worker was killed and another is missing in an explosion at a Unocal oil refinery Thursday that also injured three people, a company official said.

The blast occurred about 2:30 a.m. in a large vessel used to remove sulfur from crude oil, said Darwin Sainz, Unocal’s governmental affairs supervisor.

A contractor’s workers were cleaning the 25-foot-high, 10-foot-diameter tank when sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide gases inside apparently exploded.

“It was not a fire. It was a sudden expansion of gas, either in the vessel or the system,” Sainz said. The cause was unknown.

The blast was contained within the vessel, he said.

The body of the dead person remained inside the unit for hours while crews removed the toxic gas and ensured that the unit was safe to enter.

Three other workers were treated at a hospital. Two were released and one remained in stable condition, Sainz said.

The victims’ identities were not immediately released.

The San Luis Obispo County refinery, 60 miles north of Santa Barbara, has about 120 workers. Sainz said about half the refinery was shut down for a routine review and cleaning.