CAUSE UNKNOWN or UNTOLD?
February 20th 2004 - Friday
" Fire reported at Tesoro California refinery
"
Tesoro
Petroleum Corporation
Martinez CA
|
|
\/
March 9th 2004 - Tuesday
" Fire reported at Marathon Ashland Garyville refinery "
Marathon Ashland Petroleum
Garyville LA
|
|
\/
March 23rd 2004 - Tuesday
" Subduing Oklahoma fire
"
Sunoco
Tulsa OK
|
|
\/
March 27th 2004 - Saturday
" Rosemount refinery fire could push up gasoline prices "
Flint Hills Resources
Rosemount MN
|
|
\/
March 30th 2004 - Tuesday
" Explosion rocks Texas City refinery"
British Petroleum
Refinery
Texas City TX
|
|
\/
April 1st 2004 - Thursday
"Exxon Mobil chemical plant unit damaged in blaze"
Exxon Mobil Corporation
Baytown TX
|
|
\/
April 9th 2004 - Friday
" Refinery explosion near Gallup, N.M. hospitalizes four with serious injuries"
Giant Industries Refinery
Gallup NM
|
|
\/
National average retail price of regular gasoline $1.78/gal. as of 4/05/2004
Source: DOE
When the F.B.I. Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force issued the advisory on March 25 to the Texas petrochemical industry,
it was intended to warn the oil industry of potential terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda “near the time of the November
presidential election” (click here).
Most articles linked above are listing the cause of the explosions and subsequent fires as unknown, but my guess is we
either need to send all refinery workers back to school for a refresher course in safety procedures, or this country is
crawling with Al Qaeda.
Whatever the cause of the fires, it may be a good idea to keep your tanks filled as gas prices will only go up, up,
up....
**************
© 2004 Patricia Johnson
Patricia Johnson is a freelance writer residing in the Midwest