ENERGY TRANSFER COMPANY

Incident Narrative

"ON DECEMBER 25, 2024, A FIRE OCCURRED AT THE NORTH BIG SPRING COMPRESSOR STATION, 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF BIG SPRING, TEXAS IN HOWARD COUNTY. AT APPROXIMATELY 0605 SCADA NOTIFIED OPERATIONS ABOUT AN ISSUE AT THE NORTH BIG SPRING COMPRESSOR STATION. 0645, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT COMPRESSOR UNIT #6 WAS ON FIRE, ESD'D THE STATION AND CALLED THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT TO THE STATION. AT 0936, IT WAS DETERMINED THE REPAIRS AND DAMAGES WOULD EXCEED THE $145,400.00 REPORTABLE DOLLAR CRITERIA AND THE NRC AND THE TXRRC WAS NOTIFIED. LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THIS IS A LEASED COMPRESSOR FROM A 3RD PARTY THE LEAK OF THE GAS AND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED ONCE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE. **THE FINAL INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT COMPRESSOR CYLINDER #1 DISCHARGE FLANGE BOLTS WERE BROKEN AND THE GASKETED FLANGE CONNECTION FAILED WHICH RESULTED IN THE RELEASE OF GAS. COMPRESSOR CYLINDER #1 IS LOCATED WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE ENGINE AND ASSOCIATED EXHAUST COMPONENTS WHICH LIKELY RESULTED IN THE IGNITION OF THE GAS. ADDITIONAL FINDINGS INDICATED THAT UNIT #6 HAD EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT SEVERE VIBRATION. FINDINGS INCLUDE; MOVEMENT/SHIFTING OF COMPRESSOR SKID ON GRAVEL FOUNDATION, NUMEROUS FAILED, LOOSE, OR MISSING BOLTS/FASTENERS ON 1ST STAGE COMPRESSOR CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES AND CYLINDER SUPPORTS, LOOSE CROSS TIE BARS ON COMPRESSOR FRAME, FAILED THROUGH BOLTS ON DISCHARGE BOTTLE SUPPORTS, FAILED PROCESS PIPING CLAMP ON CYLINDER #2. THIS COMPRESSOR WAS PERMANENTLY REMOVED AND BYPASSED WITH NO REPLACEMENT. FACILITY STARTED BACK UP WITH UNIT #5 AT 1300 ON DECEMBER 25, 2024. TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE, THE FOLLOWING WILL BE CONSIDERED: - VISUALLY INSPECT ENGINE MOUNTING HARDWARE FOR LOOSENESS OR ABNORMALITIES ON ALL ARCHROCK LEASED UNITS IN THE REGION AND REPORT ANY FINDINGS TO ARCHROCK FOR EVALUATION. ETC OPERATIONS - VERIFY PROPER TORQUE AND MOUNTING ON ARCHROCK LEASED AND MAINTAINED COMPRESSOR PACKAGES. ARCHROCK - ENSURE COMPRESSOR PACKAGE VIBRATION SHUTDOWNS ARE ADJUSTED PROPERLY AND FULLY FUNCTIONAL ON ARCHROCK LEASED AND MAINTAINED COMPRESSOR PACKAGES. ARCHROCK - AVOID OPERATING OR RESTARTING UNITS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED CRITICAL SHUTDOWNS UNTIL A THOROUGH EVALUATION CAN BE PERFORMED BY A SUBJECT MATER EXPERT AND THE EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN DEEMED SAFE TO OPERATE. ETC OPERATIONS"