RICHMOND, Calif.—Chevron's plan to get its Richmond refinery back to full operating capacity following a massive fire could be slowed by a dispute over the type of piping it wants to use to make repairs.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/TdWobz) that Chevron plans to replace an old pipe that failed with one made of an alloy called Chrome 9.

Thousands sought medical treatment after the Aug. 6 fire, which sent a large plume of smoke into the sky.

Chevron said Chrome 9 is resistant to corrosion from sulfur-heavy oil.

But the U.S. Chemical Safety Board said that a fire at a Washington state BP refinery occurred after a rupture in the same kind if pipe.

Richmond city officials and Chevron have agreed to pause repairs until the dispute is resolved.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com

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