Fire reported at PBF refinery in California

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PBF Energy reported that a Saturday fire at its Torrance, CA refinery will not affect is ability to supply its customers. 

Michael C. Karlovich, vice president of  corporate communication for the  Parsippany, NJ company, said the fire was related to the operation of a pump and was isolated to one unit, with no explosion occurring. 

“The fire was extinguished in about 40 minutes by the refinery’s emergency responders with assistance from the Torrance Fire Department. There were no injuries or community impact,” Karlovich stated in an Email message.

The company will continue to meet all its product supply commitments, he concluded. 

PBF, which got its start in acquiring the Delaware City Refinery in 2010, took over the Southern California refinery last year from ExxonMobil. PBF operates five refineries that in addition to Delaware City and Torrance include Paulsboro, NJ; Toledo, Ohio; and Chalmette, LA, outside of New Oreans. 

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The California refinery in the affluent seaside community of nearly 150,000 residents  was rocked by an explosion that shut down the site for a time. PBF did not take over the refinery until the energy giant demonsrated a successful restart. 

The fire came on the two-year anniversary of the explosion. Demonstrators were on hand to mark the occasion, the Daily Breeze reported. 

There have been long-running concerns about the use of a  toxic chemical in the refining process at Torrance. 

The refinery complex supplies gasoline for Southern California and adjacent areas as well as the nearby Los  Angeles International Airport. PBF also acquired pipelines running to oil-producing areas in  California. 

 

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