MARKWEST JAVELINA PIPELINE COMPANY, L.L.C.

Incident Narrative

A FIRE IGNITED AT THE INTERSECTION OF BUDDY LAWRENCE AND I37 FRONTAGE ROAD AT MILE MARKER 1E. WITH THE AMOUNT OF PIPELINES IN THE AREA AND CONGESTION IT WAS DIFFICULT AT FIRST TO IDENTIFY WHO'S PIPELINE WAS LEAKING. WITH SUCH LOW PRESSURES ON OUR RG PIPELINES IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO SEE DRASTIC PRESSURE INTERRUPTIONS. IN THE PROCESS OF ISOLATION WE WERE ABLE TO 100% COMMIT TO THE LEAK BEING OUR PIPELINE. IN THE INVESTIGATION THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE INTERNAL CORROSION. UPON A VISUAL EXAMINATION, LOCALIZED PITTING WAS DISCOVERED THAT HAS BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO DIFFERENTIAL AERATION PRODUCED BY THE DEPOSITS WHICH COLLECTED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PIPELINE. THE COLLECTION OF THESE DEPOSITS LIKELY EXACERBATED BY THE LOW VOLUME AND/OR FLOW RATES. THE ENTIRE EAST SIDE SYSTEM OF THE SYSTEM INCLUDING THE RG-800 HAS BEEN PUT THROUGH A RIGOROUS CLEANING REGIME, AND PRESSURE TESTED TO SHOW THE INTEGRITY OF THE LINE TO 433 PSIG. THIS WAS ONLY DONE AFTER MULTIPLE FAILED ATTEMPTS TO SMART TOOL THE LINE, DUE TO THE LINE NOT BEING PEGGABLE ALTHOUGH WE DID SPEND COUNTLESS RESOURCES ON TRYING TO MAKE THE SYSTEM SMART PIGGABLE. THIS PIPELINE CONTAINS MULTIPLE TIGHT BENDS THAT DID NOT ALLOW THE PASSING OF THE SMART TOOLS. INVESTIGATION HAS NOT SHOWN ANY INDICATION OF GENERAL CORROSION ALONG THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, BUT SHOWED TO BE LOCALIZED TO THE AREA THAT FAILED.