ENERGY TRANSFER COMPANY

Incident Narrative

ON JUNE 15, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 20:15 LOCAL TIME, A FIRE OCCURRED AT THE AVALON COMPRESSOR STATION ON UNIT #5, 14 MILES SOUTH OF MALAGA, NEW MEXICO IN EDDY COUNTY. OPERATIONS CAME UPON THE BURNING COMPRESSOR, ESDD THE STATION AND CALLED THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT TO THE STATION. A DECISION WAS MADE TO LET THE FIRE BURN ITSELF OUT. AT 21:00 MOUNTAIN TIME, IT WAS DETERMINED THE REPAIRS AND DAMAGES WOULD EXCEED THE $123,900.00 REPORTABLE DOLLAR CRITERIA AND THE NRC AND THE NMPRC WAS NOTIFIED. ON JUNE 16, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 15:00, UNIT #5 WAS ISOLATED AND THE STATION WAS PUT BACK ONLINE BY USING THE OTHER COMPRESSORS. THE UNINTENTIONAL GAS LOSS WAS CALCULATED AT 1.0 MCF. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED ONCE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE. **THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT CONDENSATE FROM THE COMPRESSOR THROW #4 INLET SCRUBBER LEAKED ONTO THE ENGINE-COMPRESSOR SKID THRU A PARTIALLY OPEN (TWO TURNS OPEN) NEEDLE VALVE ATTACHED TO THE TOP OF A LIQUID DRAIN LINE CHECK VALVE. THE CONDENSATE VAPORS FOUND AN IGNITION SOURCE (ENGINE EXHAUST) AND IGNITED THE CONDENSATE. TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE, ALL OPENED-ENDED VALVES/LINES ON THESE PARTICULAR SYSTEMS ARE TO BE PLUGGED. ALSO, RECOMMEND LIQUID DUMP LINE CHECK VALVE REPLACEMENT.