By David Taylor / Managing Editor
Late Monday morning, an explosion occurred at the ONEOK MBC Maintenance plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas, resulting in three workers sustaining minor injuries. Emergency crews, including the fire department and police, quickly responded to the incident and have since returned to regular duty.
“We are aware of a fire at our Mont Belvieu, Texas, facility,” said Alicia Buffer, senior manager, external communications with ONEOK.
The blast, which happened around 11 a.m. at the facility located on SH 146 near SH 99 in Chambers County, sent three employees to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. All other personnel at the plant have been accounted for, according to city officials.
Firefighters managed to bring the fire under control, though aerial footage from Air 11 (KHOU TV) revealed significant damage to the site.
“We appreciate the quick response of local emergency responders. The fire was quickly extinguished. All personnel are accounted for, and the facility is now stabilized,” Buffer said.
The sound of the explosion was reportedly heard throughout Mont Belvieu, but authorities have confirmed there is no immediate threat to the public and all nearby roads remain open.
David Bloom, spokesperson for Barbers Hill ISD, reported no interruptions to the school day or shelter-in-place orders.
“We will conduct a thorough investigation into the cause and resume operations when it is safe to do so,” she added.
Buffer also said they would be notifying regulatory agencies, and air monitoring has been established as a safety precaution.
ONEOK, headquartered in Tulsa, operates several facilities in Texas and maintains a vast network of pipelines transporting natural gas, natural gas liquids, refined products, and crude oil to meet energy demands both domestically and internationally.
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