The BP Texas City Refinery accident

Accidents don't happen very often, but when they do, they can have terrible results. On 23 March 2005, an explosion at BP's Texas City Refinery killed fifteen workers and injured more than 170 others.

A splitter that separates light and heavy gasoline was started up after a two-week shutdown. Operators didn't follow orders on the instrument panel. As a result, the splitter filled up with too much liquid that then became too hot. Someone had turned off the alarm that warned about over-filling. So much pressure built up in the production tower that three valves opened automatically. Liquid flowed into the blow-down drum: a container that was supposed to deal with this. Unfortunately there was too much fuel in the drum so that liquid and vapour went up the 113-foot vent into the open air. Although experts had recommended a flare system to burn off dangerous gas, BP said it didn't need one. So the mixture of gas and liquid fell to the ground. There, a spark from a vehicle set off an enormous explosion. The vehicle should not have been in the area.

The explos1on blew up a large part of the area and could be heard many miles away. Eleven of the people who were killed were having a meeting in a trailer in the danger zone. The trailer should have been further away. Other victims were carrying out maintenance work nearby. An enquiry into the accident indicated the basic causes were equipment failure, risk management, staff management, and working culture.

1. The splitter was operating for a long time.

2. There was a warning on the instrument panel.

3. An alarm wasn't working.

4. An operator opened the valves.

5. The blow-down drum was supposed to deal with excess liquid.

6. The gas and liquid escaped through a broken pipe.

7. There was a flare system to burn off gas.

8. It was OK for the vehicle to be in the area.

Практическая работа № 3

It’s my job

Задание 1. Прочитайте рассказ специалиста по защите окружающей среды о своей работе. Перескажите по-русски, используя краткий план:

1. Каким образом он стал специалистом по защите окружающей среды?

2. В чем заключается его работа?

3. В каких проектах он участвовал?

I am a chartered environmentalist with an international oil company. In my job I give advice on things that affect the environment. Oil companies have to produce oil and gas but at the same time they have to try not to damage the earth. I have worked in many different projects. For example, I worked on the design of equipment to protect fish around offshore platforms. In another offshore project I reduced the flaring of gas (the burning of gas which the company cannot or does not want to use). On land, I worked to protect wildlife habitats where we were laying pipelines. I work together with safety engineers. We all need to know the law in counties where we are working.

I studied mechanical engineering at university and then got a job with an engineering company. I carried out design studies for new oil platforms. I became very interested in the environment and then got a new job in the Safety and Environmental section. I gained a lot of experience there. Now I work for a large oil company and I work on many different projects. Sometimes I travel to different parts of the world.

People don't understand that the oil and gas industry tries hard to protect the environment. We take care to avoid accidents. Leaks, fires, and explosions can injure and kill people and also damage the environment. So we work hard to stop these things happening.

Задание 2. Прочитайте предложения и найдите соответствия для выделенных слов и словосочетаний.

1. She went for three interviews before they gave her the job.

2. I'm trying to find a placement or internship for the summer to get some experience.

3. You don't need lots of qualifications but you have to be tough and ready to work hard.

4. I think I'm going to apply for a postgraduate course if there are still vacancies.

5. Just send me a CV, don't worry about a covering letter.

6. There's an application form on our website you can fill in.

7. The company recruits and trains over a hundred school-leavers each year.

8. I'd like the names of two referees as well.

9. More than ninety candidates replied to the advertisement.

подавать заявку

собеседование

сопроводительное письмо

набирать работников

заполнять (форму)

обучать

резюме

документы об образовании

практика

опыт работы

место работы

заявление

постдипломное образование

объявление

рекомендатель

Задание 3. Прочитайте и переведите текст.

Finding a job

The first step in choosing a career is to decide which specialist area you wish to focus on and the qualification level where you want to start. Useful help can be obtained from career advisors at school. Some people start out getting practical experience with no initial qualifications. A more common approach is to choose a placement as a trainee with a structured training plan, or for professional careers, a university degree.

Job applications usually start with curriculum vitae (CV). This should be a brief summary of personal details, qualifications, and experience and should be sent with a covering letter. Correct grammar, correct spelling, and neatness are very important. It's also important to keep your CV short. Remember that a clear, well-organized CV won't guarantee that you get the job, but a poorly written one usually means you won't. Some competence in a second language is often a significant advantage.

Задание 4. Изучите образцы резюме и сопроводительного письма студента, который желает пройти практику в компании OES. Заполните пропуски в обоих документах.

Составьте свое резюме и сопроводительное письмо на английском языке для прохождения практики на предприятии.

Контрольная работа №1

Задание 1. Дополните предложения, используя слова из скобок в подходящей по смыслу форме. Перепишите и письменно переведите предложения.

1. Rising temperature levels is a _______ problem that concerns everyone. (globe)

2. Double-hulled tankers made oil _______ much safer. (transport)

3. She is an _______ engineer. (environment)

4. There was a big _______ at the refinery last week. (explode)

5. An oil _______ has contaminated the water supply. (seep)

6. The equipment is _______ by a safety valve. (protect)

Задание 2. Составьте и письменно переведите словосочетания, используя слова из обеих колонок.

Задание 3. Допишите название средства защиты, соответствующего предложенной ситуации.

1. risk of a fall from heights ________

2. loud noise _________

3. harsh weather conditions _________

4. bright light and flashing _________

5. working with chemical substances _________

6. risk of an object fall from above _________

7. working on a slippery surface _________

Задание 4. Перепишите и письменно переведите текст интервью.

R = репортер, S = ученый

R We often read and hear that the oil industry causes pollution. When does oil cause pollution?

S Well, the oil industry has to find oil, drill for it, transport it, build tanks to store oil, and refine it. After that we burn oil to give energy or we use it to make other products. Pollution can happen at each stage of the process.

R And is there a way we can reduce this pollution?

S Yes, new technology is helping. Oil companies don't need to drill so many wells today. One well can now reach oil in a much bigger area.

R Of course. most people remember accidents with oil tankers or burst pipelines that cause serious damage to the environment. Does transportation cause the most pollution?

S Actually, no. it doesn’t. Of course, an accident with a ship or a leak from a pipeline can cause a lot of pollution to water and land. But now tankers have a double hull to make them safer.

R Yes, that's important. So the oil industry causes pollution of land and sea. And how does oil cause air pollution?

S That's when we burn oil to give us energy. We use oil products as a fuel in our cars and aircraft. We also make electricity by burning gas. When we burn oil, we produce carbon dioxide. We now know that carbon dioxide is one gas that is making the world warmer. We call this global warming. Burning diesel and petrol in vehicles also produces very small particles of soot. They can cause health problems, things like asthma and problems with breathing.

R Does oil cause any other kinds of pollution?

S Yes, light pollution. At an oil refinery or a gas platform, you can sometimes see gas burning. This is flaring. It produces strong light. People don’t like it when it happens at night.

Список литературы:

1. Lansford L., Vallance D. Oxford English for careers. Oil and gas 1. Oxford University Press, 2011. – 135 p. – ISBN 978-0-19-456965-1

2. Naunton J., Pohl A. Oxford English for careers. Oil and gas 2. Oxford University Press, 2011. – 135p. – ISBN 978-0-19-456968-2

3. Frendo E., Bonamy D. English for the oil industry 1. Pearson Longman Limited, 2011. – 78p. – ISBN 978-1-4082-6997-8

Содержание

Рекомендации по работе с

методическими указаниями стр. 3

Программа стр. 4

Практическая работа № 1 стр. 5-6

Практическая работа № 2 стр. 7-9

Практическая работа № 3 стр. 9-12

Контрольная работа стр. 12-13

Список литературы стр. 14

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