Rigoberto Guillen, who was injured while working when an explosion occurred at Marathon's Galveston Bay oil refinery.
Photographer: Callaghan O’Hare/Bloomberg
Deadly US Oil Blast Exposes Risks of Pushing Profits Over Safety
Marathon Petroleum, the largest fuel producer in the US, delayed repairs at its Galveston Bay refinery amid high demand and record profits. A leaky pump then caused a deadly explosion.
The explosion that rocked Marathon Petroleum Corp.’s Galveston Bay oil refinery one year ago trapped Rigoberto Guillen 75 feet in the air. Stranded on a metal platform, he and a colleague crouched low as black smoke engulfed them. “I couldn’t see my coworker,” Guillen said. “I couldn’t even see the sun.”
When the men were finally able to scramble down three flights of cage ladders — the soles of their boots liquefying on the hot metal — they emerged with burns on their wrists, hands, faces and ears. “I saw my coworker’s nose basically melt off,” said Guillen.