Refinery explosion in Superior, Wis., injures at least 20, 6 seriously

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.

 

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