Refinery explosion in Superior, Wis., injures at least 20, 6 seriously
April 27, 2018 by admin
Filed under Latest Lingerie News
As many as a half-dozen people were seriously injured in an explosion and fire Thursday morning at the Husky Energy oil refinery in Superior, Wis.
As of 11:45 a.m., there were no reports of deaths. Six people out of 20 people injured were taken to the hospital, according to the Superior Fire Department.
The explosion took place just after 10 a.m. at the refinery across the Lake Superior harbor from Duluth.
Taylor Pedersen, president and CEO of the Superior-Douglas County Chamber of Commerce, said he heard the explosion from his office about a mile from the refinery.
“There was one large boom,” he said. Smoke was still rising from the site at 11:32 a.m., he reported.
“We’re just trying to figure out what exactly happened, and of course keeping everyone involved in our prayers,” he said.
About 180 people work at the refinery, which was closed for cleaning at the time of the explosion. A spokeswoman for Superior Mayor Jim Paine said some of the injured may be employees of the cleaning vendor.
The refinery, built in 1950, was owned for decades by Murphy Oil, which bought it in 1958. Murphy sold it to Calumet Specialty Products in 2011 for $435 million, and Calumet sold it to Calgary-based Husky last year for $492 million.
It is a small refinery, producing about 38,000 barrels per day. That’s about 10 percent of what Flint Hills’ large refinery in Rosemount produces, and less than 40 percent of the production at Andeavor’s refinery in St. Paul Park.
The Superior refinery produces gasoline, diesel fuel, motor oils and asphalt, primarily for local markets, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
