Rapid Holiday Response Restores Refinery Operations After Major Fire

Just before Christmas, a European refinery experienced a severe process unit fire after a loss of hot liquid and gases ignited. The damage forced an emergency shutdown of the unit, halting production and creating urgent safety and operational risks. With critical revenue at stake and no time to spare, the refinery sought immediate, on-the-ground expertise to assess damage, guide recovery, and support its internal team.

Objective

The refinery needed structured, expert-led support to:

• Establish a clear path for root cause analysis (RCA)
• Conduct a comprehensive damage assessment of equipment, piping, and instrumentation
• Provide recommendations on repair vs. replacement to minimize downtime and cost
• Enable a safe, efficient repair while incorporating improvements to prevent recurrence

The overarching goal was to restart operations as quickly as possible, without compromising safety or long-term reliability.

Approach

Becht mobilized immediately. A subject matter expert arrived onsite the very next day to initiate damage assessment and coordinate recovery efforts. Additional materials expertise was deployed shortly after to support root cause analysis preparation.

Recognizing the critical holiday timing, Becht adapted to the refinery’s needs by returning after Christmas and remaining onsite through the New Year and beyond, providing continuous support until the unit was ready for restart. Becht also advised on a phased approach, enabling a partial refinery startup while full repairs were underway.

Solution

Working hand-in-hand with the refinery team and contractors, Becht provided:

• Process safety and process experts to lead a structured root cause analysis and ensure lessons learned were integrated
• Mechanical and materials specialists to model heat impact, evaluate damage, and recommend optimal repair vs. replacement strategies
• Schedule and cost-focused guidance to balance rapid restart with long-term reliability

This holistic approach ensured technical rigor, operational safety, and economic efficiency throughout the recovery.

Value

Thanks to Becht’s rapid mobilization and collaborative leadership, the refinery minimized downtime and avoided extended production losses. The unit restarted safely by mid-January, just weeks after the incident.

The refinery not only reduced lost revenue by several weeks, but also gained actionable insights from the RCA to strengthen future process safety.