Limetree Bay Photo Credit: ERNICE GILBERT/ VI CONSORTIUM
ST. CROIX — The Limetree Bay Refinery said this week it has been conducting “steam blows” for the past week which has resulted in an extremely loud noise outside the facility.
According to Limetree, as part of the refinery restart project, all steam lines are being purged with steam and vented to the atmosphere to remove debris. Limetree said it uses silencers to reduce sound levels, however, the recent blows were conducted on the high pressure steam system, resulting in the overly loud noise.
Some residents residing in the impacted area have reported that the noise has been occurring well before the timeline the company gave.
Steam piping throughout the refinery is used for process equipment and to drive steam turbines, which drive pumps and compressors. Having a clean supply of steam to this equipment is critical, as dirt and left over weld material could severely damage the equipment when put in to service, the company said.
Limetree said it is mainly conducting the steam blows during daylight hours and reducing the noise level at night in an effort to minimize the impact to its neighbors.
"The executive management of Limetree Bay Refinery sincerely apologizes for the loud noise and expects to complete all the steam blows in the next few weeks," the company said.
For more information or to report an issue, contact the Command Center at (340) 692-3495.
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