TARGA NORTHERN DELAWARE LLC

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 1:25 AM TARGA GAS CONTROL WAS NOTIFIED BY A 3RD PARTY OF A FIRE AT TARGA'S BIG LIZARD COMPRESSOR STATION AND THAT 911 HAD BEEN CALLED. THE CONTROLLER CALLED THE FIELD OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR AND NOTIFIED HIM OF THE POTENTIAL FIRE AND DISPATCHED HIM TO THE LOCATION. IN ROUTE TO THE LOCATION OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR CONTACTED ADDITIONAL FIELD OPERATORS TO ASSIST IN CONTACTING GAS WELL PRODUCERS TO CLOSE GAS WELLS SUPPLYING GAS TO BIG LIZARD STATION. AT APPROXIMATELY 2:45 AM OPERATION PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON SITE AND CONFIRMED ONE OF THE ENGINE/COMPRESSORS WAS INVOLVED IN A FIRE. THE OPERATOR BEGAN CLOSING THE MANUAL BLOCK VALVES AT THE PERIMETER OF THE STATION TO ISOLATE THE STATION. ONCE THE STATION WAS ISOLATED, BLOWDOWNS WERE OPEN TO ATMOSPHERE, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION WIND DIRECTION, TO REMOVE FUEL SOURCES TO FIRE. AT AROUND 6:10 AM THE CITY OF JAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ALLOWED TO ENTER PROPERTY TO EXTINGUISH AN ANCILLARY FIRE AND THE AREA WAS DEEMED SAFE AT 6:20 AM. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS DUE TO A 6"" X 1/2"" NIPPLE THAT CRACKED AT THE THREADS CAUSING A GAS LEAK WHICH LED TO AN IGNITION. THE GAS COMPRESSOR IS A RENTAL UNIT OWNED BY KODIAK, WHO INSTALLED THE NIPPLE ON THE PULSATION BOTTLE ON THE DISCHARGE SIDE OF THE COMPRESSOR. THE NIPPLE THAT WAS INSTALLED WAS FOUND TO NOT BE HEAVY WALL AND NORMAL ENGINE VIBRATION CAUSED THE NIPPLE TO CRACK AT THE THREADS WHERE IT WAS SCREWED INTO THE BUSHING. TO MITIGATE THIS FROM RECURRING KODIAK REPLACED SIMILAR NIPPLES WITH HEX PLUGS AT THE BIG LIZARD STATION BEFORE THE STATION WAS PUT BACK ONLINE. ADDITIONAL MEASURES BEING TAKEN BY KODIAK ON ALL OTHER SIMILAR RENTAL GAS COMPRESSORS IS THAT THEY WILL BE REPLACING ALL SIMILAR NIPPLES WITH EITHER PLUGS, OR 1"" X 1/2"" SCHEDULE 160 NIPPLES WITH THICKER WALL AND DESIGNED FOR GAS COMPRESSOR USE. TARGA WILL ALSO BE INSPECTING SIMILAR GAS COMPRESSORS ACROSS OUR GATHERING SYSTEM WHETHER THEY ARE TARGA OWNED OR RENTAL UNITS FOR SIMILARLY INSTALLED NIPPLES THAT MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACE IF DEEMED NECESSARY. NOTE: ALL DAMAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, DUE TO THE NIPPLE FAILURE, WERE ATTRIBUTABLE AND CONTAINED TO THE KODIAK OWNED GAS COMPRESSOR BEING RENTED BY TARGA. NO DAMAGE TO TARGA OWNED ASSETS OCCURRED.