Whiting Refinery’s operations were impacted by the significant thunderstorms early morning on Tuesday, August 19, a statement sent to Rigzone by a BP spokesperson on August 20 noted.
“Our crews remain on-site to manage impacts from these storms. Our response efforts are progressing and the situation is improving,” that statement said.
“The sheen previously observed on 121st Street in Whiting has been removed and the street has been reopened to the public between Schrage Ave. and Front St,” it added.
“The sheen observed yesterday immediately adjacent to one of the Whiting Refinery’s Lake Michigan process sewer lines has been addressed. We are continuing to monitor this situation,” it continued.
“Materials will continue to be burned in the flares as needed to maintain safe operations,” it said.
In that statement, BP noted that Whiting Refinery has detailed weather protection plans in place to handle these types of conditions and added that the company had “response and operations crews on site executing those plans since Monday evening”.
“Our top priority is the safety of our employees, contractors, and the community and the environment. We will continue to monitor weather conditions closely and are prepared to respond, as necessary,” BP said in its statement.
A follow up statement posted on the BP Whiting Refinery Facebook page on August 21 said the Whiting Refinery team “is continuing to progress work on the areas affected by this week’s significant rain and flooding conditions”.
“All streets around the refinery are open to the public, except Standard Avenue, which is closed from Front St. to Dickey Road due to high water. We are continuing to burn materials in the flares as needed to maintain safe operations,” that statement added.
“We appreciate the community’s patience as we continue to manage this situation. Our top priority is the safety of our workforce, the community and the environment,” it continued.
In another statement posted on that Facebook page on the same day, BP said the Whiting Refinery had previously deployed containment boom on Lake Michigan as a precautionary measure following the severe storms that impacted its operations.
“Due to current wave and wind conditions on the lake, we have deployed additional boom to bolster the effectiveness of this precautionary measure in these conditions,” it added in that statement.
“There are no known impacts outside the refinery at this time. We will continue to monitor the situation and weather conditions closely to maintain the safety of our employees, the community and the environment,” it continued.
“Further, we are continuing to burn materials in the flare stacks as needed to maintain safe operations. We appreciate the community’s patience during this time,” it went on to note.
In a statement posted on this page on August 23, BP said the Whiting Refinery team “continues to work on clearing surrounding public roadways”.
“Standard Avenue between Front Street and 129th Street remains closed. As we complete our work, we will monitor the situation closely to maintain the safety of our employees, the community and the environment,” it added.
“We appreciate the community’s patience during this time and for any disruption this may have had to our neighbors,” it continued.
The Whiting Refinery is BP’s largest in the world and a vital source of transportation fuels, investment and jobs in the Midwest region, BP states on its website, highlighting that the asset is located in northwest Indiana, about 17 miles from downtown Chicago.
According to BP’s site, the refinery processes around 440,000 barrels of crude oil per day and produces a wide range of liquid fuels. The refinery employs about 1,500 employees and an average of about 1,500 contractors and supports more than 90,000 jobs in the region, the site notes, adding that, in 2024, the Whiting refinery spent more than $1 billion with suppliers.
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
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