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Total Raffinage Distribution S.A. (Martigues and Chateauneuf Les Martigues, France)
Company details TOTAL RAFFINAGE DISTRIBUTION SA
La Mède
13220 Chateauneuf Les Martigues
France
Head office:
24, cours Michelet
92800 Puteaux
France
Subsidiary of TOTAL FINA ELF SA
2, place de la coupole
92400 Courbevoie
France
Phone: +33-1-47.44.45.46
Chairman of the board : Thierry Desmarest
2001 year profit : EUR 7.5 thousand million (USD 6.5 thousand
million).
Company activity Crude oil refining (including an extremely hazardous hydrofluoric
acid alkylation unit).
Products : diesel, fuel, gas, asphalt, gasoline, jet fuel, LPG, propane,
butane, propylene
Location of damage La Mède Refinery is situated on the Mediterranean coast of the
urban districts of Martigues and Chateauneuf Les Martigues, 30 km
West of Marseille (pop. 807,000).
Type of incident Accident > Explosion
Type of damage On 9 November, 1992, an extremely corroded carbon steel piece of
piping failed and a huge explosion occurred ten minutes later. The
catalytic cracking unit, built in 1953, was the oldest unit in the
refinery. The company did not replace the unit on account of the
1973 oil crisis. In order to save money, routine maintenance checks
had not been carried out on the piping for twelve years. Experts
determined that the refinery was in very poor condition due to lack of
maintenance between 1980 and 1990, while the plant was waiting for
definitive shutdown. In 1991, because of the Kuwait war, profits
were up but no money was invested in renovation or safety
upgrading of the oldest units (e.g., the control room, built in 1950,
was not blast-proof). A maintenance shutdown planned for mid-1992
was postponed because margins were still high. The accident
occurred before the shutdown.
Range of damage,
amount of loss
At the time of the accident seven workers were present in the unit.
Six of them were killed and one had severe injuries. There would
have been more victims if the explosion occurred during daytime.
Windows were shattered for a radius of 5 km and the explosion was
heard 30 km away.
The insurance companies paid USD 400 million to TOTAL. Half of it
was for the entire rebuilding of part of the oil refinery (main
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