Refinery explosion injures two in US
24 May 2023
An explosion and fire in a gasoline hydrotreater at a refinery in Oklahoma, US injured two workers on 23 May. The incident happened at CVR Energy’s Wynnewood site, 67 miles (107km) south of Oklahoma City.
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Petroleum refiner CVR Energy said the incident happened at around 08:30 local time and that the two injured employees were taken by helicopter to hospital for treatment. The injuries and current condition of the injured are unknown. CVR Energy said all other workers on the site at the time of the blast were accounted for.
Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control within a couple of hours and managed to isolate the source of the blaze. The blast is reported to have originated in the refinery’s gasoline hydrotreater which is used to remove contaminants during the refining process.
Local officials said there was no risk posed to the local community, however a nearby highway was closed while emergency services attended the scene.
An investigation has been opened to find the cause of the explosion. Explosions have been reported at the CVR refinery in the past between 2006 and 2012, according to local news sources. The site is primarily used to store waste produced during refining operations.