Spills

Deer park, texas

Chevron Hawaii; Deer Park, Texas · NOAAORR-6252

issued
1979-09-01 00:00Z
status
cancelled 1979-09-15 00:00Z
self-cancels
1979-09-15 00:00Z
authority
NOAA OR&R
sea
Gulf of Mexico
position
29.700, -95.133
vessel
BARGE SLIP
source
incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

Chevron Hawaii; Deer Park, Texas.
Deer Park, Texas.
1. On September 1, 1979, at 1412, the SS Chevron Hawaii exploded, burned, and sank while discharging cargo at the Deer Park Shell Oil Company terminal on the south side of the Houston ship channel. The cargo of catalytic cracker feedstock and Santa Maria crude oil spilled into the sea as the fire burned for ten hours. Lightning apparently ignited accumulated cargo vapors on the deck of the vessel. None of the cargo tanks had been gas-freed. The explosion was so powerful that a 5 foot by 7 foot hull fragment from the burning vessel penetrated the roof of a Shell Oil Company petroleum product shore tank located 600 feet inland from the vessel. The contents of that shore tank, approximately 26,000 barrels of ethyl alcohol, ignited and burned as well. As the fire spread into a nearby barge slip, four barges that were discharging cargo caught fire. Three of these barges exploded and sank. No [...]
2. COMMODITY: SANTA MARIA CRUDE OIL, CATALYTIC CRACKER FEEDSTOCK.
3. POSITION 29.700N 095.133W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 6252: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6252

This area · spills & pollution incidents

501 within 180 nm since 1973 · 13 in the last 12 months · 1 in force now

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Nearby now · within 120 nm

Nothing else in force within 120 nm.

Worldwide now

7 spills & pollution incidents in force · see all

Spills

Oil and chemical spills, groundings and vessel casualties with a pollution threat: NOAA IncidentNews responses since 1957, and spill-response areas broadcast as navigational warnings. All current spills & pollution incidents

Not for navigation. This is a re-rendering of an official navigational warning for awareness; mariners must use official NAVAREA broadcasts and their national MSI service.