Cooking Gas Plant Explosion in Effurun, Delta State

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• Author: Muyiwa Ige(LPG Stakeholder and Consultant)

The unfortunate news of an LPG Refilling Plant explosion in Effurun, Delta State, jolted the nation this morning.

The Cooking Gas Plant, which is said to be located along Effurun/Sapele Road, reportedly went up in flames around 10:30 P.M yesterday.

Although the details of the casualty of the sad incident are still sketchy, it is the prayer of Niglpgas.com that there will be none.

According to preliminary reports, the immediate cause of the LPG Plant explosion is yet to be known.

Niglpgas.com can however reveal that a gas leak must have occurred, which was not stopped before it got ignited by a source of ignition, such as an electrical spark or naked fire.

The resulting fire then migrated to the plant’s LPG tank, heating it up rapidly and raising the pressure of the gas inside the tank beyond its design pressure (most likely 22 bar).

Meanwhile, the tank’s Pressure Relief Valve (usually set at 15 bar) would have popped open long before the tank’s maximum design pressure of 22 bar was reached, making gas vapor to flow out of it and increasing the fire on the tank.

The continuous application of heat on the tank from the raging fire continues to raise the pressure of the gas inside the tank, till it exceeds the design pressure (maximum pressure the tank can withstand) of the LPG tank.

A powerful explosion only occurs the moment the pressure of the gas inside the tank overpowers the LPG tank, making it to rupture, with liquid gas gushing out and supplying more fuel to the inferno.

The resounding blast is heard at the very moment the tank ruptures and liquid gas spills out at a very high pressure of 22+ bar.

So in essence, an LPG Plant explosion is mainly caused by an uncontrolled leakage of gas, which eventually comes in contact with a source of ignition, with the resulting fire migrating to the supply tanker or the plant’s stationary LPG Tank.