Transformer explosion at Entergy substation cuts power to Shell Convent Refinery, Louisiana
Sept 2017Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Entergy substation near Shell Convent Refinery, St. James Parish, Louisiana
- What
- Transformer owned by Shell exploded causing electrical fire
- Injuries
- None reported
- Cause
- Under investigation
- Outcome
- Refinery lost power and triggered uncontrolled shutdown
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Entergy, Shell
What happened
A transformer owned by Shell exploded at an Entergy substation near the Shell Convent Refinery (Motiva plant) in St. James Parish, Louisiana, causing an electrical fire on the evening of 26 September 2017. The substation was the main electrical feed for the refinery, and the explosion caused the plant to lose power, triggering an uncontrolled shutdown. Crews responded and the fire was quickly brought under control. Shell said it had activated its emergency response plan and deployed personnel to the site, that all site personnel were accounted for and that there were no injuries.
The parish sheriff's office reported no injuries and no off-site impact. Shell's statement said the community would notice elevated flaring during the process. Entergy and Shell said they were investigating the cause of the transformer failure. Residents in the surrounding area reported seeing a bright greenish light in the sky at the time of the explosion.
Contributing factors
The specific technical cause of the transformer failure was not reported. An investigation by Entergy and Shell was announced but no findings were disclosed in this report.
Lessons learned
- A transformer explosion at a substation can cut the main feed to a refinery and force an uncontrolled shutdown, so critical sites need resilient or redundant grid connections.
- Crews brought an electrical fire from a transformer failure under control quickly when an emergency response plan was activated at once.
More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Technical cause of the transformer failure
- Transformer model and age
- Duration of the power outage
- Cost of damage and shutdown
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Other entries that name Entergy
- Fire at Entergy substation closed La. 70 in St. James Parish, Louisiana
- Fire at Entergy Mississippi substation followed by power restoration
- Fire at Entergy Substation on Dieu Street in Port Neches
- Transformer explosion and fire at Entergy substation in Port Neches
- Transformer fire at Entergy substation causes major outage in Louisiana
Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
