Citgo

Citgo Petroleum has its US headquarters in Houston, Texas. The state is also home to one of Citgo's major refineries (in Corpus Christi). The company refines and markets fuel, lubricants, petrochemicals and a variety of other industrial products. It also operates a popular chain of gas stations. Citgo Petroleum is currently owned by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.

Company History

Citgo Petroleum got its start early in the 20th century, but the name Citgo was not introduced until 1965. The company went through a number of changes in the 1980s, when it was purchased by Occidental Petroleum in 1982, then by The Southland Corporation (the owner of the 7-Eleven chain of convenience stores) in 1983. The company entered a relationship with PDVSA (of Venezuela) in 1986.

Citgo in Texas

In addition to its headquarters in Houston, Citgo operates a major refinery in the town of Corpus Christi.

In the News

In 2009, Citgo's Corpus Christi refinery was the site of a significant explosion. The US Chemical Safety Board termed the incident "a significant near-miss" that could have resulted in the release of a significant amount of hydrogen fluoride (HF), a highly toxic substance, into the community. The plant was instructed to implement plans that would ensure an adequate water supply (intended to duly prevent the release of toxic HF vapors). A third-party audit on HF alkylation units was recommended. In fact, such audits should have been completed every three years, but Citgo failed to instate such audits after a citation in 1992.

Asbestos and Oil Refineries

For most of the 20th century, asbestos was chosen as insulation in cases where fire or excessive heat was a risk. Materials that contained asbestos, accordingly, were commonly used when building plants like Citgo's Corpus Christi refinery. Another property of various types of asbestos is their resistance to chemicals. As a result, asbestos was utilized in lab equipment, protective clothing and work surfaces. And although the asbestos did well in safeguarding against fire damage and in protecting lives from extreme heat, the mineral also exposed people who used it or worked around it to significant health risks.

For the most part, amosite was the variety of asbestos used. Often referred to as "brown asbestos", amosite is particularly resistant to acidic substances like those produced in facilities like Citgo's Corpus Christi refinery because of the iron molecules in its chemical composition. Used for decades in the form of asbestos transite in oil refineries and labs across the country, amosite was eventually outlawed in building materials in the 1970s.

Asbestos transite displayed properties similar to cement; it could be laminated, molded into working surfaces and sprayed onto pipes and ductwork. This form of asbestos did not present a health risk while it stayed solid. However, when asbestos-containing transite aged, it became prone to crumbling, which enabled the lethal, microscopic fibers to flake off into the air. In this state, it is said to be friable, or able to be reduced to powder by hand pressure alone. Industrial ovens also often were fabricated with friable asbestos as part of their insulation linings.

Why Friable Asbestos Is a Problem

When they are friable, asbestos particles are easily released into the atmosphere. Breathing asbestos fibers can result in conditions like asbestosis. In addition, inhaling asbestos is the primary cause of pleural mesothelioma, a rare and almost always fatal cancer of the mesothelium, which is the tissue that lies between the lungs and the chest cavity. Swallowing asbestos fibers, which can occur when the tiny fibers become airborne and land on food or in beverages, can result in peritoneal or pericardial mesothelioma.

Increased pressure from the press, medical scientists and citizen groups led to regulations controlling the use of asbestos. However, when many oil refineries were constructed, the use of asbestos was much more commonplace. Before present-day safety regulations were enacted, employees often toiled without protective equipment in spaces where asbestos particles filled the atmosphere.

The Ticking Bomb

One of the insidious aspects of exposure to asbestos is the resulting diseases can take ten, twenty, or even thirty years to develop - often long after a worker leaves the employer. It can also be hard to identify asbestos-related disorders because the symptoms resemble those of other, less serious disorders. People who worked at or spent much time near sites like Citgo's Corpus Christi refinery should, therefore, ask their health care professionals for a mesothelioma treatment guide. Such information can help doctors make accurate diagnoses; especially with mesothelioma, the sooner the diagnosis, the better the chances of survival or at least of enjoying an improved quality of life. Although there is no mesothelioma cure, the disease may be treated with various therapies.

Sources

Citgo - Company History
http://www.citgo.com/AboutCITGO/CompanyHistory.jsp

Grist - Oil Refineries are full of asbestos, not just carbon
http://www.grist.org/article/it-was-asbestos-times-it-was-the-worst-of-times

Insurance Journal - Safety Board: Citgo Texas Refinery Blast 'Significant Near Miss'
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2009/12/10/105887.htm

University of Wisconsin - Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) - Laboratories and Shops
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/EHSRM/ASB/acmimages3.html

University of Wisconsin - Asbestos Disposal
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/EHSRM/HAZEXCEPTIONS/a.html