By Erwin Seba
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Explosions rocked a natural gas liquids processing plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas, owned by Enterprise Products Partners on Tuesday but there were no reported injuries, a local official said.
Firefighters have contained the massive fire, visible 35 miles to the west in Houston, Chambers County Judge Jimmy Sylvia told Reuters. "As of right now, we don't have any reports of injuries," Sylvia said.
The plant, which processes natural gas liquids like propane and butane for use at nearby petrochemical plants, sits atop 100 million barrels of natural gas liquids in storage at underground salt domes. Enterprise also operates a pipeline from the plant.
Enterprise Products had no immediate comment.
Several petrochemical companies store products in underground salt domes.
Firefighters from surrounding communities and petrochemical plants worked to contain the blaze as one state highway about a mile from the plant was shut down, according to Texas Department of Public Safety.
Winds blew smoke from the blaze away from the Houston area, and children at nearby schools were being kept inside during play periods, according to local media reports.
Enterprise built its complex in 1979 at Mont Belvieu, north of the Houston Ship Channel and its row of crude oil refineries, which process about 13 percent of U.S. refined products. The blaze had no effect on Ship Channel operations on Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by David Gregorio)
