Refinery explosion in Big Spring

[Ranger Mom]

Cosden Oil Refinery is ON FIRE!!!

Around 8:30 something went wrong...I-20 is shut down....haven't heard much more.

Flames could be seen in Greenwood...30 miles away!!

[Snyder_TigerFan]

Yikes....

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/3895/alon1eo9.jpg
http://www.bigspringherald.com/images/stories/alon2.jpg

[Ranger Mom]

All Big Spring schools have just been closed...they are asking ALL parents to come get their kids!

[Adidas410s]

and I thought it was a bad morning around here when 70,000 lbs of our steel beams ended up on I-35 near downtown Ft Worth...

Hope all is well in Big Spring...

[Ranger Mom]

My step brother had passed Cosden on I-20 about 5 minutes before it went up...he said it was all he could do to keep his truck on the road.

I can't see anything from my office in Midland, but evidently there is a huge mushroom cloud over the area right now.

My daughter's fiance was on the way to Coahoma and his company called him and told him to turn back.

[44INAROW]

wow - sure hope no one was hurt...........

[Aesculus gilmus]

I hope the "big spring" in Big Spring hasn't run dry. They need to douse that sucker.

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by 44INAROW
wow - sure hope no one was hurt...........

The radio is announcing everyone is accounted for and only 1 person has been sent to the hospital so far...which is amazing, IMO!

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by Aesculus gilmus
I hope the "big spring" in Big Spring hasn't run dry. They need to douse that sucker.

Reporting that the fire is under control but it originated in a gas portion so it will have to burn itself out!!

[piratebg]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Just saw the footage on CNN. Hope everyone is ok.

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
Reporting that the fire is under control but it originated in a gas portion so it will have to burn itself out!!

:( :( :(

http://tnjn.com/content/storyimage/2006/11/16/Gas_Prices.512.512.jpg

[Snydertigersrul]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
The radio is announcing everyone is accounted for and only 1 person has been sent to the hospital so far...which is amazing, IMO!


One person was transported to a hospital in Lubbock.

[Ranger Mom]

just to clarify...and I don't know if it matters but...

it was in a "gas section" of the refinery.....NOT gasoline!!

[Black_Magic]

I can see it from here. 48 miles away. Looks like a line of clouds but at one end the clouds are touching the horizon off to the south west. wow!!

[GWOOD]

I was at home at 8:20 (President's Day) and felt the blast. I went outside to check it out. I thought someone ran their car into my shed or into the house next door. I couldn't see anything and just thought a jet flew too low. I saw the news about 20 minutes ago and thought "Big Spring! That's 30 miles away from my house!"

[Ranger Mom]

HAHA!!!

CNN is reporting the blast felt up to 3 miles away.

My dad and step-mom live west of Stanton, they felt it there.

As a matter of fact, my dad was sitting on the pot at the time and felt the rumble from there!!:D

[mwynn05]

Something similar to this happened in Wortham (about 15-20 miles outside of Fairfield) however I think a few people were killed in Wortham glad to hear that isnt the case here and honestly im amazed that it isn't

[Adidas410s]

http://www.bigspringherald.com/images/stories/ALONEXPLOSION02.jpg

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
http://www.bigspringherald.com/images/stories/ALONEXPLOSION02.jpg

That looks weird to see people traveling 2 directions on one lane of the interstate.

[Ranger Mom]

http://www.foxnews.com/images/root_images/Oil_Blast.jpg

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
http://www.foxnews.com/images/root_images/Oil_Blast.jpg
I wonder how far away that picture was taken. Couldn't be too far outside of Midland...

[Johnny 5]

daaaammnnn.

That is spectacular

not good, obviously . . . but something that is leaving me in awe

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
I wonder how far away that picture was taken. Couldn't be too far outside of Midland...

I'm almost positive it was taken from Scenic Mountain which is on the West side of FM 700....assuming you know anything about Big Spring!

[STANG RED]

The good news is apparentley no one died and only one injury, which is amazing. The bad news is, this refinery was quiet old and was rumored to be closing many times in the past. Now I wouldnt be a bit surprised to see it actually close for good. Big Spring has been a dying town for many years as it is. If the refinery does close for good, it will be a huge blow to that town.:(

[AP Panther Fan]

According to CNN article.....

The refinery employs about 170 people and can process about 70,000 barrels of crude oil a day, according to the Alon USA Web site.

It supplies an area including West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, southern Oklahoma and Arkansas with fuel products and asphalt, the Web site says.



Seems very fortunate that many weren't injured in an accident of this magnitude.

[pirate4state]

wow I've driven by that refinery dozens of times. Glad no one was seriously injured!

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by STANG RED
The good news is apparentley no one died and only one injury, which is amazing. The bad news is, this refinery was quiet old and was rumored to be closing many times in the past. Now I wouldnt be a bit surprised to see it actually close for good. Big Spring has been a dying town for many years as it is. If the refinery does close for good, it will be a huge blow to that town.:(

Yes it will! I read that it employs 170 people.

My uncle worked at the Sid Richardson carbon plant factory behind it. Evidently it is okay and fully functional, but since I have no idea what a carbon black plant does, I don't know if it has anything to do with the refinery or not. If so, that is another slew of jobs lost.

What's scary is, lack of refineries is one reason gas prices are so high....we can't afford to lose any!!

[Snyder_TigerFan]

Amazing that there were not more people hurt. Must have had some kind of warning before hand.

Now the selfish viewpoint - I wonder how much affect this will have on area gas prices.

[Adidas410s]

Here are a series of photos published on FoxNews

http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,3348,00.html#1_0

[Ranger Mom]

One person in refinery injured, one person driving by on I-20 injured.

[AP Panther Fan]

No wonder they closed the school. Looks to be fairly close in this photo that shows the football stadium.

http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/photoessay_3348_images/0218081120_M_021808_refinery9.jpg

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
No wonder they closed the school. Looks to be fairly close in this photo that shows the football stadium.

http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/photoessay_3348_images/0218081120_M_021808_refinery9.jpg

I don't know how many schools are right there, but Big Spring High School isn't...that is right by Howard College though!!

On a "football note"...that is the stadium where the infamous Sweetwater/Snyder game that Black Magic loves to relive over and over and over again, was played!!

[Snyder_TigerFan]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
On a "football note"...that is the stadium where the infamous Sweetwater/Snyder game that Black Magic loves to relive over and over and over again, was played!!

I wasn't going to say anything....but since you brought it up....I believe that is the infamous goal post too.:p

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by Snyder_TigerFan
I wasn't going to say anything....but since you brought it up....I believe that is the infamous goal post too.:p

Nope...wrong endzone!!

The side we are looking at is the side Sweetwater was sitting on.

[sahen]

wow, that is a serious explosion...im shocked only one injury though, w/ an explosion that size at most refineries it wouldve killed a lot of people, must have been in the right place or just pure luck that no one was there at the time....

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by sahen
wow, that is a serious explosion...im shocked only one injury though, w/ an explosion that size at most refineries it wouldve killed a lot of people, must have been in the right place or just pure luck that no one was there at the time....

I have heard several people say that they were on a skeleton crew because of the holiday...but according to a supervisor at the refinery, they had a full staff there.

I wonder if there was some notice that something was fixing to blow and they evacuated??

[sahen]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
I have heard several people say that they were on a skeleton crew because of the holiday...but according to a supervisor at the refinery, they had a full staff there.

I wonder if there was some notice that something was fixing to blow and they evacuated??

maybe, if it was from pressure or such then alarms wouldve sounded and peopel wouldve went to a safe house...but normally they would be able to start shutdown before they went and hopefully it wouldnt blow...who knows, it'll come out eventually...i'd be shocked if they had a skeleton crew for presidents' day, its not owned by the government or a bank for that matter....

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by Snyder_TigerFan
I wasn't going to say anything....but since you brought it up....I believe that is the infamous goal post too.:p

Do yall really have to compound one terrible travisty in Big Spring by mentioning another?:mad: :p

I could go back in history and mention the game where Sweetwater scored on an interception with no time left on the clock and beat the tiggers IN tigger town. But since I'm such a nice person I wont.:D

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by STANG RED
Do yall really have to compound one terrible travisty in Big Spring by mentioning another?:mad: :p

I could go back in history and mention the game where Sweetwater scored on an interception with no time left on the clock and beat the tiggers IN tigger town. But since I'm such a nice person I wont.:D

Sorry....my fault!!:(

I was just trying to tie football into it, since a pic of the stadium was posted.

That is the only game I have ever seen in the stadium, so I had no other point of reference!!

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
Sorry....my fault!!:(

I was just trying to tie football into it, since a pic of the stadium was posted.

That is the only game I have ever seen in the stadium, so I had no other point of reference!!
Is that the field with the "lovely" grass? :devil: ;)

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by LH Panther Mom
Is that the field with the "lovely" grass? :devil: ;)

No, but it does have some "lovely" red DIRT and some rather nice grass bures and goat heads!:mad:

[Sweetwater Red]

Originally posted by STANG RED
No, but it does have some "lovely" red DIRT and some rather nice grass bures and goat heads!:mad:


Don't forget the wooden bleachers.:(



Big Spring's stadium may be awful but atleast their uniforms
are ACTUALLY black and gold unlike some teams who claim to
be.:thinking: :devil:

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
Yes it will! I read that it employs 170 people.

My uncle worked at the Sid Richardson carbon plant factory behind it. Evidently it is okay and fully functional, but since I have no idea what a carbon black plant does, I don't know if it has anything to do with the refinery or not. If so, that is another slew of jobs lost.

What's scary is, lack of refineries is one reason gas prices are so high....we can't afford to lose any!!

Carbon black is a byproduct left from petroleum after refining. They use it to make fibers that are then used for many purposed. For instance, the blades on all these new windmills going up are made from carbon fibers. It's very light, but actually stronger than steel when layered correctly.

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by STANG RED
Carbon black is a byproduct left from petroleum after refining. They use it to make fibers that are then used for many purposed. For instance, the blades on all these new windmills going up are made from carbon fibers. It's very light, but actually stronger than steel when layered correctly.

So then it more than likely gets its "supplies" from the oil refinery directly in front of it?

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
So then it more than likely gets its "supplies" from the oil refinery directly in front of it?

You got it! They are directley linked. I'm sure thats why it was built there to begin with. My guess is they have a sizeable stockpile of carbon black on hand, so it may not affect them in the short term, but if the refinery is down for long it will eventually shut them down to.

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by STANG RED
You got it! They are directley linked. I'm sure thats why it was built there to begin with. My guess is they have a sizeable stockpile of carbon black on hand, so it may not affect them in the short term, but if the refinery is down for long it will eventually shut them down to.

That Carbon Black plant should be on "Dirty Jobs"....my uncle worked there for years, he would come home SOLID black every day!!

[ASUFrisbeeStud]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
I don't know how many schools are right there, but Big Spring High School isn't...that is right by Howard College though!!

On a "football note"...that is the stadium where the infamous Sweetwater/Snyder game that Black Magic loves to relive over and over and over again, was played!!

It's amazing that almost any topic can turn to this...

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by STANG RED
No, but it does have some "lovely" red DIRT and some rather nice grass bures and goat heads!:mad:
Yeah, that's the one. :D :p

[Black_Magic]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/photoessay_3348_images/0218081120_M_021808_refinery9.jpg The imfamous Kick happened at eh other end where the Left uprigt tends to lean in to the middle;)

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by Black_Magic
The imfamous Kick happened at eh other end where the Left uprigt tends to lean in to the middle;)

I had already clarified that it was the other goal post!!:p

[wildstangs]

Originally posted by Black_Magic
The imfamous Kick happened at eh other end where the Left uprigt tends to lean in to the middle;)

I am almost certain this picture is the correct endzone. Doesnt the other endzone have the locker rooms right behind it?

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by wildstangs
I am almost certain this picture is the correct endzone. Doesnt the other endzone have the locker rooms right behind it?

I have no clue....but if that is correct, then they moved the refinery since the last time I was there.

The refinery is EAST of the football field!

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by wildstangs
I am almost certain this picture is the correct endzone. Doesnt the other endzone have the locker rooms right behind it?

I think your right. This picture is taken looking back toward the east, but from just west of the football stadium. The gole post in the picture is the south goal post isnt it? If so, that is where the infamous doink occured on the left upright.

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by STANG RED
I think your right. This picture is taken looking back toward the east, but from just west of the football stadium. The gole post in the picture is the south goal post isnt it? If so, that is where the infamous doink occured on the left upright.

I thought it was on the north goal post!

So the side we are looking at is the side Snyder was sitting on??

I thought we were on the opposite side all these years!!:doh:

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
I thought it was on the north goal post!

So the side we are looking at is the side Snyder was sitting on??

I thought we were on the opposite side all these years!!:doh:

Dang it RM, your making me recall more than I really wanted to. Now that I think about it more, you are correct. It was the north goal post that was hit. The bleachers we see in the pic are the visitors bleachers (facing west) we were sitting in, so the goal post to our right would have been the north one.
Gee thanks alot for reminding me of all this crap. I just finally got my theripist payed off, now here we go again.:hairpunk:

[AP Panther Fan]

Originally posted by STANG RED
No, but it does have some "lovely" red DIRT and some rather nice grass bures and goat heads!:mad:


What are goat heads? I have never heard of that term unless they were attached to an actual goat.

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by STANG RED
Dang it RM, your making me recall more than I really wanted to. Now that I think about it more, you are correct. It was the north goal post that was hit. The bleachers we see in the pic are the visitors bleachers (facing west) we were sitting in, so the goal post to our right would have been the north one.
Gee thanks alot for reminding me of all this crap. I just finally got my theripist payed off, now here we go again.:hairpunk:

Sorry about that, but by george it made ME feel better.

I grew UP in that town, think how stupid I was feeling!!:p :p

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
What are goat heads? I have never heard of that term unless they were attached to an actual goat.

OUCH!! Worse than any kind of sticker or grass burr!!

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
What are goat heads? I have never heard of that term unless they were attached to an actual goat.

:thinking: Never thought about it before, but they may only exist out here in West Texas. They actually look kindof like a goats head with the curved horns and all. Their sharp as needles and will go deep in bare skin if you get into them. Their actually a pod full of seeds that grows on a plant. After the dry up and fall off they get very hard and just lay in waiting for some poor unsuspecting soal to stumble over them. If you ever see one, youll know it. If you ever get one wrapped around your ankle, youll never forget it.

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
What are goat heads? I have never heard of that term unless they were attached to an actual goat.

Plant in bloom

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/7646/tribuluspictureyp5.jpg

Goat head soup?????? What the heck??? (But, that's what they look like.)
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/4431/goatheadsoup13we1cx9.jpg

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by LH Panther Mom
Plant in bloom

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/7646/tribuluspictureyp5.jpg

Goat head soup?????? What the heck??? (But, that's what they look like.)
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/4431/goatheadsoup13we1cx9.jpg



Grrr....I have noticed those little plants popping up ALL OVER my back yard!!! They are hard to kill, you pretty much have to pull them up by the roots!!

[AP Panther Fan]

Originally posted by LH Panther Mom
Plant in bloom

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/7646/tribuluspictureyp5.jpg

Goat head soup?????? What the heck??? (But, that's what they look like.)
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/4431/goatheadsoup13we1cx9.jpg


You are fast, I just looked them up! :D

Says they are hell on bicycle tires too. I don't know that we have those down here. Anybody else know?

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
You are fast, I just looked them up! :D

Says they are hell on bicycle tires too. I don't know that we have those down here. Anybody else know?

I don't think I have ever seen them any place else BUT West Texas.

My aunt from Indiana took some back with her one year though!!:crazy: :crazy:

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
You are fast, I just looked them up! :D

Says they are hell on bicycle tires too. I don't know that we have those down here. Anybody else know?
They're pretty much hell on anything. I used to hate when my mom would send us out to hoe them. I almost always got some in my flip flips, which would either stab me in the foot later, or stab me in the finger when I tried to pull them out. :mad:

[Ranger Mom]

Here is everything you never wanted to know about goatheads....aka Tribulus terrestris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribulus_terrestris)

[Ranger Mom]

Latest update:

4 people injured....3 workers (one was sent to the burn unit in Lubbock) and some guy who was driving down I-20, the explosion blew his windows out and was cut by flying glass.

[SNYDER325TIGERS]

I felt the vibrations from it at my house here in Snyder, I thought it was another earthquake like had happened a couple of weeks ago.

Then I seen it on CNN news.

[SUPERMANN5107]

I talked to one of my friends at Howard College and he said he was knocked to the ground. And he's not a small guy either. I'm just glad none were killed

[STANG RED]

We have a windfarm project going down by Sterling City, which is about 60 miles south of Big Spring. Our guys said they felt a viberation in the ground,and could hear the blast from there.

[Ranger Mom]

I was driving to work, I was oblivious!!

[lepfan]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
I don't think I have ever seen them any place else BUT West Texas.

We had them in Central Texas when we lived there...in SE Oklahoma...and in Kansas----they are all over! :(

[lepfan]

Didn't that place blow up in the early 90's....I remember something in BS blowing up an feeling it in Midland when we lived out there~~~or am I imagining things???

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by lepfan
Didn't that place blow up in the early 90's....I remember something in BS blowing up an feeling it in Midland when we lived out there~~~or am I imagining things???

I don't remember that, but that doesn't mean anything!:D

[Black_Magic]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/photoessay_3348_images/0218081120_M_021808_refinery9.jpg This was also the view of Sweetwater burning after the loss to Snyder. The smoke plume was a little farther away but a similar view.

[Sweetwater Red]

Originally posted by Black_Magic
This was also the view of Sweetwater burning after the loss to Snyder. The smoke plume was a little farther away but a similar view.


Wow! It only took you two days to come up with that. You're
such a genius.:thumbsup:





:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by Black_Magic
This was also the view of Sweetwater burning after the loss to Snyder. The smoke plume was a little farther away but a similar view.

Dude....you are definitely slipping!!

That was lame...even for you!!:eek:

[Black_Magic]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
Dude....you are definitely slipping!!

That was lame...even for you!!:eek: OUCH!:rolleyes: the red is showing through the blue.;)

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by Black_Magic
OUCH!:rolleyes: the red is showing through the blue.;)

Sweetwater has NOTHING to do with it!! I love when you don't have a comeback you always pull the "Sweetwater card"!!

I think the "red" obsession lies with you, not me!!

[Black_Magic]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
Sweetwater has NOTHING to do with it!! I love when you don't have a comeback you always pull the "Sweetwater card"!!

I think the "red" obsession lies with you, not me!! same kind of comments are made ALL THE TIME by those folks and I never see you write"Dude....you are definitely slipping!!
That was lame...even for you!! " or anything like it to those folks.... :rolleyes: Yet You took offence to this and they saw it for wat it was . just a simple joke.. a simple jab..:rolleyes:

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by Black_Magic
same kind of comments are made ALL THE TIME by those folks and I never see you write"Dude....you are definitely slipping!!
That was lame...even for you!! " or anything like it to those folks.... :rolleyes: Yet You took offence to this and they saw it for wat it was . just a simple joke.. a simple jab..:rolleyes:

What?? I WAS joking....I was just making fun of your silly joke!!

What in the world would I take offense to?

Sorry, didn't realize you were so sensitive and didn't play well with others!!

[Sweetwater Red]

Originally posted by Black_Magic
OUCH!:rolleyes: the red is showing through the blue.;)

Psst...dude....that "joke" would've been lame no matter where
you're from or what town you referenced the "joke" to. Just
because she agreed that it was lame has nothing to do with
red & white or black & yellow.:thinking: