ENERGY TRANSFER COMPANY

Incident Narrative

ON DECEMBER 17, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 16:05 HRS., ENERGY TRANSFER EXPERIENCED A GAS RELEASE ON THE ESD SYSTEM ON A REGULATED CLASS 1 TRANSMISSION LINE, THE 3017 THOMPSONVILLE TO PRAIRIE LEA SYSTEM 24 INCH PIPELINE INSIDE THE THOMPSONVILLE COMPRESSOR STATION. THE COMPRESSOR STATION IS LOCATED IN JIM HOGG COUNTY 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HEBBRONVILLE, TX. GAS CONTROL OBSERVED AN ESD VALVE POSITION FAULT AND NOTIFIED OPERATIONS. OPERATIONS PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED TO INVESTIGATE AND WHEN THEY ARRIVED ON LOCATION THEY FOUND THE BLOW DOWN VALVE WAS OPENED, RELEASING GAS. AT APPROXIMATELY 16:40 HRS., THE MANUAL VALVE UNDERNEATH THE AUTOMATED BLOW DOWN VALVE WAS CLOSED, SECURING THE GAS RELEASE. ONCE THE ESD WAS RESET, OPERATIONS PERSONNEL NOTICED A 1/4 INCH RELIEF VALVE FOR THE SUPPLY TO THE BETTIS ESD ACTUATOR WAS LEAKING. THE LEAK, OVER TIME, DID NOT PROVIDE AMPLE POWER GAS TO THE ACTUATOR WHICH TRIGGERED THE ESD WHICH THEN CAUSED THE BLOW DOWN VALVE TO OPEN. OPERATIONS PERSONNEL REPLACED THE 1/4 INCH RELIEF VALVE. AT APPROXIMATELY 16:40 HRS. ON DECEMBER 17, 2019 THE SYSTEM WAS BACK IN OPERATION. THIS PIPELINE IS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION. ON DECEMBER 17, 2019, THIS INCIDENT WAS TELEPHONICALLY REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER (NRC#1266709) AT 21:22 HRS. AND TO THE TXRRC (INCIDENT#2106) AT 21:45 HRS. A 48 HOUR NRC UPDATE WAS MADE ON DECEMBER 18, 2019 AT 13:40 HRS. (NRC#1266770). AFTER CLOSER INSPECTION AND REACHING OUT TO GENERANT VALVE MANUFACTURE FOR FAILURE ANALYSIS, IT WAS FOUND THAT SMALL PAINT CHIPS WERE ON THE SEATING AREA OF THE VALVE DUE TO PAINT OVER SPRAYING ON THE HEADER PIPING. THE VALVE WAS NOT COMPLETELY COVERED WITH PLASTIC WRAP AND TAPED OFF, ALLOWING PAINT PARTICLES TO BE SPRAYED ONTO THE BACKSIDE OF THE RELIEF VALVE NOZZLE.