Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA on Thursday reported a storage tank overpressure event while working to restart its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, after a major storm forced a shutdown.

"While preparing to restart the refinery following the winter storm, Storage Tank 948 received flush from Vacuum Distillation Unit 2 and experienced an overpressure event which resulted in VOCs [volatile organic compounds] being released to atmosphere," the refinery said in a statement to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It said the emissions happened Wednesday.

"The refinery increased nitrogen flow to the tank, and maintained a nitrogen blanket following the event," it added.

The 225,000-barrel-a-day Total Port Arthur refinery is located 95 miles east of Houston.

Write to Dan Molinski at dan.molinski@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

03-04-21 1259ET