Hydrogen sulphide contained

Several fire brigade teams from the State Fire Service and from LOTOS Straż, with special equipment and fire-extinguishing agents, participated in special drills organised on the premises of the Grupa LOTOS refinery on Wednesday June 26th. Fire fighters from both units jointly practised how to protect company employees and local residents from the consequences of vast quantities of toxic gas - hydrogen sulphide - being released into the air.

The scenario envisaged that considerable quantities of hydrogen sulphide would be released into the air as a result of one of the refinery's installations becoming punctured. LOTOS Straż and the Provincial Headquarters of the State Fire Services (the organiser of the drills) assumed that the highly toxic and flammable gas would be carried by the wind towards a large shopping centre and further on towards Gdańsk, posing a hazard to the health of the employees and local inhabitants.

“The task for the LOTOS team was to work in close cooperation with the State Fire Services to contain and eliminate the leakage,” said Ireneusz Litwinowicz, Commanding Officer and President of the Management Board of LOTOS Straż. “Such drills are a part of the cyclical reviews of the External Rescue Operation Plan for Grupa LOTOS.” For a refinery as modern as ours it is not enough to have at its disposal the most advanced fire fighting equipment. The rescue services and employees must constantly work on improving their rescue skills. 

Several dozen fire fighters and several heavy fire engines from the rescue, fire-extinguishing and chemical rescue teams of LOTOS Straż as well as of the State Fire Service brigades of Gdańsk and Gdynia, took part in the operation. The fire fighters, supported by the foremen overseeing the nearest installations, commenced evacuating employees to rallying points, while at the same time raising six-metre high water curtains along a 300 metre-long section to prevent the gas from spreading south of the refinery.

“In case of an accident, be it a fire or a chemical plant failure, the cooperation of the emergency services is crucial. These drills were designed to help us coordinate our operations,” said Wojciech Prusak, Chief Officer of the Gdańsk Fire Brigade. “Several previous exercises and meetings have proven that LOTOS Straż staff are professionals who are well prepared to handle such situations.”

“Technology and the business it supports are very important, but they must go hand in hand with safety and cooperation with external partners,” added Marek Sokołowski, Vice-President of the Management Board, Chief Operation Officer. “In this case, cooperation was especially vital, as the drill involved not only the provincial or municipal fire brigades, but also our neighbours. This is why we organise these exercises often – we simply want to avoid problems when something really happens."

Hydrogen sulphide is heavier than air, colourless, very toxic and highly flammable. Its strong odour, which resembles the smell of rotten eggs, can be sensed even in low concentrations. In the refinery, hydrogen sulphide is produced from crude oil, which contains small amounts of sulphur, and is then processed further.

Communication Office
Grupa LOTOS S.A.
ul. Elbląska 135,
80-718 Gdańsk,
tel. 58 308 87 31, 58 308 83 88, 58 308 83 55,
e-mail: media@grupalotos.pl