KINDER MORGAN TEJAS PIPELINE

Incident Narrative

ON DECEMBER 4, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:00 HRS. LOCAL TIME, TEJAS PIPELINE RECEIVED A CALL FROM A LOCAL GAS OPERATING COMPANY OF NATURAL GAS VAPORS OBSERVED FROM A PIPELINE CASING VENT LOCATED NEAR AVERY POINT IN NUECES COUNTY, TEXAS. AT 15:20 HRS. LOCAL TIME, A TEJAS FIELD TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE LOCATION BUT COULD NOT LOCATE THE LEAK. THE LOCAL GAS OPERATING COMPANY, ORIGINALLY REPORTING THE LEAK, REVISED THE LOCATION DESCRIPTION TO NAVIGATION BLVD IN NUECES COUNTY, TEXAS. UPON ARRIVAL AT NAVIGATION BLVD., THE TEJAS FIELD TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THE LEAK BELONGED TO TEJAS AT 16:20 HRS. LOCAL TIME BY OBSERVING A LOW-LEVEL EMISSION OF VAPORS FROM THE PIPELINE CASING VENT. THE TEJAS FIELD TECHNICIAN AND MANAGEMENT COMPLETED A ERL TELEPHONE CALL AND DECIDED TO REPORT THE EVENT AS AN INCIDENT SINCE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE COST OF REPAIRS WOULD EXCEED $50,000. AS SUCH, TEJAS COMPLETED THE REPORT TO THE NRC AT 17:02 HRS. THE SAME DAY. TEJAS COMPLETED A 48-HOUR NRC UPDATE THE FOLLOWING DAY CITING NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. THE PIPE SECTION CONTAINING THE PINHOLE LEAK WAS SHIPPED TO BRYAN LABORATORIES IN HOUSTON, TX FOR METALLURGICAL EVALUATION. BASED ON METALLURGICAL REPORT, THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE PINHOLE LEAK APPEARED TO BE STRAY CURRENT INDUCED ON THE PIPELINE FROM CLOSE PROXIMITY EXISTING METAL, NARROW-GAUGE RAILROAD LINE THAT CROSSES THE TEJAS PIPELINE. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PINHOLE LEAK WAS DETERMINED TO BE DC STRAY CURRENT FROM THE RAILROAD LINES CAUSING EXTERNAL CORROSION OF THE PIPELINE DIRECTLY BELOW THE TRACKS. THE RAILROAD TRACKS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND THE PIPELINE REPAIRED AND PLACED BACK INTO SERVICE. THE AFFECTED PIPE SEGMENT DID NOT CONTAIN AN INJURIOUS MICROSTRUCTURE OR PROPERTIES THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTE TO THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, NO INTERNAL CORROSION REPORTED.