A heating unit at a Petrobras depot in Brazil used to treat fuel for ocean-going ships exploded on Wednesday, killing two workers, the state-run oil company said in a statement.
The blast and resulting fire broke out about 10 a.m. (1300 GMT) while workers were doing planned maintenance on the heating unit, said the press office of BR Distribuidora SA, the fuels distribution unit of Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as Petrobras is formally known.
The heating unit is used to raise the temperature and reduce the viscosity of bunker fuel, a heavy, sludgy refined petroleum product similar to heating oil. Heating the fuel makes it easier to load aboard ships.
The fire at the naval-fuels depot at the Port of Tubarão near Vitória, Brazil, was brought under control by on-site firefighters and presents no immediate risk to anyone in the vicinity, BR Distribuidora said in a statement. The names of the dead workers were not immediately available, it said.
Brazil Energy Insight 
Leave a comment