{"id":96305,"date":"2025-10-06T16:32:34","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T16:32:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hildasibrian.com\/en\/?p=96305"},"modified":"2026-03-17T16:37:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T21:37:40","slug":"explosion-at-the-big-spring-refinery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hildasibrian.com\/en\/blog\/explosion-at-the-big-spring-refinery\/","title":{"rendered":"Explosions Rock Big Spring, Mont Belvieu Refineries"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Two refinery explosions have rocked Texas in less than a week. A large refinery explosion at the ONEOK MBC Maintenance Facility in Mont Belvieu left 3 injured on Monday, while workers escaped a smaller explosion at the Delek Refinery in Big Spring on Saturday. The causes of both explosions are unknown at this time. The company involved in the large refinery explosion, ONEOK<\/a>, is a Tulsa-based company with over 60,000 miles of pipelines. The company transports refined products, crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids.<\/p>

At both the ONEOK and Delek plants, sections around the facilities were cordoned off with a rapid local fire response. No nearby residents have been reported injured as of publication. However, smoke injuries from oil processing facilities can take time to manifest.<\/p>

A Rising Trend of Accidents<\/h3>

Texas, and the United States, has seen a worrying uptick in refinery and industrial-related accidents in the past year. In June, a fire broke out at the Marathon Refinery; in March, scaffolding collapsed at a Chevron facility near Pasadena; and in May, over 8,000 pounds of chlorine gas escaped at the Olin Corporation plant – in this case, community alert systems failed and local communities were forced to shelter-in-place. And in California, a Chevron refinery in El Segundo caught fire on Friday, but resulted in no injuries. That same plant has caught fire 5 times since 2015, according to recent reports<\/a>.<\/p>

This recent increase in accident activity could be related to deregulatory pressure from governing agencies. While great for business, this reduction in regulatory oversight often means cut corners for workers – less equipment, longer hours, more stress, and many other factors that can result in an increasingly unsafe work environment.<\/p>

What Should I Do in Case of a Refinery Fire?<\/h3>

Thankfully, no one was hurt in Saturday’s fire. However, that doesn’t mean that workers and nearby residents should relax immediately. Refineries expirate toxic smoke that can sometimes reach miles. If you are involved with or nearby a refinery when it catches fire<\/a> or explodes, follow these steps.<\/p>

For refinery workers:<\/p>