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Greka
What's New
Annual SSRRC Safety Audit
The 2006 annual safety audit was
completed on April 27, 2006.
Gas Monitor System
Greka is working with the SSRRC to complete
the design and installation of a fixed
gas monitoring system. The requirement
for the system was identified during
safety audits of the facility conducted
by the SSRRC and will include both hydrogen
sulfide and lower explosive limit (LEL)
monitors.
Description
An asphalt refinery that receives crude oil from various onshore
fields for asphalt production.
Location
The Santa Maria Asphalt Refinery is located approximately 4 miles
west of the City of Santa Maria.
Greka Location |
Overhead View of Greka's Santa Maria Asphalt Refinery |
Onshore Facilities
Santa Maria Asphalt Refinery
- Plot
Plan
- Site Description is located on a 30-acre portion of Greka-owned
land
- The facility receivess:
- Crude oil (5,000 barrels per day) from various nearby onshore
oil fields and from the San Ardo Field in Monterey County
- Heavy gas oils
- Muriatic acid
- Caustic soda
- Sulfuric acid
- Separates crude oil into heavy fractions and distillates at
a rate of about 125 barrels per hour using heat and vacuum fractionation
- Ships products (asphalt, asphalt emulsion, gas oil, and naphtha)
by truck, rail could also be used for receiving and sending materials
and products
Product Distribution
Crude Oil Fractions, Naptha, Other Distillates, and Asphalt
- Distributed via truck and rail.
- Asphalt to customer batch plants;
- Distillates to oil fields as diluent;
- Asphalt emulsion to various customers
Past Activities
- The Santa Maria Asphalt
Refinery has been producing asphalt
since it was constructed in 1935, prior
to the implementation of Santa Barbara
County's Zoning Ordinance.
- When zoning was adopted in
1958, the facility was "grandfathered" in
and allowed to continue operating as
an existing non-conforming use.
- The refinery operated continuously
under a series of owners, including
Douglas, Conoco, and SABA through 1993,
at which time, Conoco closed it.
- In 1994, Saba Petroleum Company
(Saba) purchased the facility.
- After various upgrades to
the refinery, Saba reopened it in 1996.
- The facility is now owned
and operated by Greka Energy.
- On October 19, 2000, the SSRRC
conducted a facility walk-through safety
audit of the 30-acre refinery. Committee
members then met with Greka staff on
11/14/00 to review the facility's safety
documentation. The SSRRC then compiled
a table of all the deficiencies found
and prioritized corrective action.
Deficiencies included improper storage
of hazardous materials, inadequate
secondary containment, incomplete documentation,
overdue equipment maintenance, testing,
and inspections, and staffing deficiencies.
- The SSRRC continues to work
with Greka through the annual safety
audit process to implement improvements
identified during the 2000 safety audit.
The SSRRC completed annual safety audits
on May 2, 2003; May 22, 2003, and May
27, 2004.
- Greka received a land use
permit for the installation of a 135
kW diesel-fired CARB-certified emergency
generator on October 8, 2004. The generator
will provide electricity to basic plant
functions in the event of a power outage.
- Greka initiated a facility turnaround
in June 2005. The turnaround involved
a partial shutdown of the facility
to allow for maintenance, repair, testing
and inspection of facility equipment.
- In November, 2005, Greka applied
for and received a land use permit
for a wastewater treatment system to
process the facility wastewater. The
system consists of an oil/water separator,
filtration, adsorption to carbonized
zeolite beds, ultra-violet light and
reverese osmosis. The project was reviewed
and found consistent with the California
Regional Water Quality Control Board
General Waiver. The water will be blended
with irrigation supply and used on
approximately 344 acres of bermed,
irrigated crop lands.
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