WBI ENERGY TRANSMISSION, INC.

Incident Narrative

A WBI EMPLOYEE ARRIVED AT WORK ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 23 AND NOTICED GAS BLOWING FROM THE RELIEF VALVE. THE EMPLOYEE CALLED ANOTHER WORKER FOR ASSISTANCE AND CALLED WBI GAS CONTROL TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. THE TWO EMPLOYEES WERE ABLE TO GET THE VALVE TO RESET AND STOP THE BLOWING GAS. THE EMPLOYEES FOUND THE SENSING LINE FROM THE VALVE BODY TO THE PILOT WAS PLUGGED WITH MULTIPLE ICE PIECES. THE REGULATOR IS USED TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF STORAGE GAS FROM THE STORAGE FIELD TO THE OLD DEHYDRATION SYSTEM. BECAUSE OF THE LOW FIELD WITHDRAWAL RATE, THE OLD DEHYDRATION SYSTEM WAS NOT BEING USED. THE GAS IN THE SENSING LINE WAS STAGNANT AND AMBIENT TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW FREEZING, CAUSING ICE TO BUILD UP IN THE SENSING LINE. THE STATION OPERATING PRACTICE GOING FORWARD WILL BE TO ISOLATE THE OLD DEHYDRATION SYSTEM WHEN IT IS NOT REQUIRED FOR LOW FIELD WITHDRAWAL RATES. SUPPLEMENTAL CHRONOLOGY: 3/22 5:38PM GAS STARTED VENTING. 6:55PM THE REPORTING THRESHOLD OF 3,000 MCF WAS MET. 3/23 5:35AM A WBI EMPLOYEE IDENTIFIED BLOWING GAS WHEN THEY SHOWED UP TO START WORK THAT DAY AND REPORTED IT TO GAS CONTROL. 6:04AM STATION PERSONNEL STOPPED VENTING GAS. 6:05AM THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM WAS NOTIFIED OF THE RELIEF VALVE VENTING SITUATION. 8:27AM THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM DETERMINED THAT THE AMOUNT OF GAS VENTED EXCEEDED 3,000 MCF. 9:03AM THE INITIAL REPORT TO THE NRC WAS PHONED IN.