From the Annals of Industrial Incompetence – In 2005 BP’s Texas City refinery exploded when a hydrocarbon vapor cloud ignited at the ISOM isomerization process unit.  Fifteen workers were killed and more than 150 were injured. The Texas City Refinery was the second-largest oil refinery in Texas and the third-largest in the U.S. BP acquired the Texas City refinery as part of its merger with Amoco in 1999. Consulting firm Telos had examined conditions at the plant and released a report in January 2005 which found numerous safety issues, including “broken alarms, thinned pipe, chunks of concrete falling, bolts dropping 60 feet and staff being overcome with fumes.” The report’s co-author stated, “We have never seen a site where the notion ‘I could die today’ was so real” – unfortunately prophetic words.