SOUTHCROSS CCNG TRANSMISSION LTD

Incident Narrative

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE COMPLETION OF THE 8 INCH HOT TAP AND INSERTION OF PIG GUIDE BARS. THE HOT TAP EQUIPMENT WAS BEING OPERATED BY A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR. DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EVENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS: HOT TAP FITTING WAS WELDED TO THE 16 INCH PRESSURIZED PIPELINE. THE 8 INCH HOT TAP VALVE AND HOT TAP MACHINE, CONTAINING THE CUTTER, WAS ATTACHED TO THE HOT TAP FITTING. THE CUTTING OF THE 16 INCH PIPELINE WAS COMPLETED, THE HOT TAP VALVE WAS CLOSED, AND THE RESIDUAL PRESSURE WAS BLED DOWN ON THE HOT TAP MACHINE. THE CUTTER HEAD AND CUT COUPON WERE REMOVED FROM THE HOT TAP MACHINE AND THE PIG GUIDE BARS FITTING WAS ATTACHED TO THE MACHINE. THE HOT TAP MACHINE CONTAINING THE PIG GUIDE BAR FITTING WAS ATTACHED TO THE HOT TAP VALVE AND THE VALVE WAS OPENED TO BEGIN INSERTION OF THE PIG GUIDE BAR FITTING. DURING THE PIG BAR FITTING INSERTION PROCESS, THE HOT TAP MACHINE SEPARATED, ALLOWING PIPELINE PRESSURE TO ESCAPE AND PROPELLED PARTS OF THE HOT TAP MACHINE TOWARDS ONSITE PERSONNEL. THE 8 INCH HOT TAP VALVE WAS IMMEDIATELY CLOSED BY ONSITE PERSONNEL FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT. BASED UPON MECHANICAL AND STRESS ANALYSIS THE FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF THE INTERNAL BORING BAR NUT WITHIN THE HOT TAP EQUIPMENT. ALTHOUGH NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE FAILURE, SOUTHCROSS HAS INITIATED HOT TAP PRACTICES WHICH INCLUDE AN EVALUATION OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH HOT TAPS. THESE PRACTICES INCLUDE A REVIEW OF THE INTEGRITY PROCESSES OF CONTRACTORS PERFORMING HOT TAPS. A FAILURE ANALYSIS IS ATTACHED. DRUG TEST WERE NOT CONDUCTED BECAUSE THE SOUTHCROSS EMPLOYEE RECEIVED A FATAL INJURY. CONTRACTOR TESTING WAS NOT CONDUCTED DUE TO A FATAL INJURY. BECAUSE OF ONGOING LITIGATION ACCESS TO OTHER CONTRACT EMPLOYEES WAS LIMITED