Even well-manufactured pipe fittings can fail. Unfortunately, the problem is often one of unethical practice; something which, in heavy industry can lead to environmental disaster – or worse. Illegal cost-cutting and an inferior pipe flange is all it takes to spark a massive fire.

It appears there have been problems of a more subtle sort in Alaska, where federal warrants have been served on two oil facilities owned by the Chevron Corporation. Federal environmental regulators have reason to believe the company has been violating the Clean Air Act and knowingly making false statements about it since 2006. In 2006 Union Oil, a subsidiary of Chevron, was processing and storing crude oil from platforms in the Cook Inlet. The oil was then shipped to a Japanese refinery. The violations occurred when Chevron began shutting down vapour control units (VCUs) for its storage tanks.

VCUs are designed to capture and reuse vapours that would otherwise pollute the atmosphere. These are toxic, hazardous air pollutants known to cause serious health problems. Chevron’s statement to regulators in 2007 stated insignificant quantities had escaped, of around 2 tons a year. The true figure is nearer 200.

Why did they shut the units down in the first place? It appears they may have had no choice. We at Chemipetro are used to getting emergency call-outs to replace a faulty flange, but we would be shocked by, “improperly sized compressors; insufficient parts; fugitive vapours escaping; damaged and/or inoperable circuit boards; unsupported repair requests and various other problems.”

We’re pretty sure those problems would have included more than a few faulty pipe flanges.