KINETICA ENERGY EXPRESS LLC

gas_transmission Incident — — August 12, 2015

Incident Information

Incident DateAugust 12, 2015
OperatorKINETICA ENERGY EXPRESS LLC
CommodityNATURAL GAS
Pipeline Typegas_transmission

Location

State
Coordinates28.58000, -91.87067

Cause

CauseCORROSION FAILURE
SubcauseINTERNAL CORROSION

Casualties

Fatalities0
Injuries0

Costs

Property Damage$0
Emergency Response$1,600
Other Costs$265,000

Location Map

Incident Narrative

PLATFORM OPERATOR FOR ENERGY XXI CONTACTED KINETICA ENERGY EXPRESS PIPELINE OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR ON 8/12/2015 STATING THAT BUBBLES HAD BEEN SPOTTED ON THE WATER'S SURFACE ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THEIR PLATFORM. KINETICA PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED VIA HELICOPTER TO THE PLATFORM IN ORDER TO ISOLATE PIPELINE. AT 14:00, PLATFORM VALVES WERE CLOSED TO ISOLATE PRODUCTION FROM THE PIPELINE. PRESSURE WAS MONITORED TO DETERMINE IF LEAK WAS IN FACT ON KINETICA'S PIPELINE. AT 14:42, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT LEAK WAS ON KINETICA'S LINE. ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE WITH PRODUCER TO RELIEVE PRESSURE FROM THE PIPELINE TO 70 PSIG SO DIVERS COULD WORK ON PIPELINE AT LEAK LOCATION. DIVE VESSEL WAS PROCURED AND DISPATCHED TO THE AREA. UPON ARRIVAL IN THE AREA, FIRST CLOSED SUB-SEA TIE-IN VALVE IN PREPARATION OF PIPELINE REPAIR. DIVER EXCAVATED LEAK AREA AND REMOVED CONCRETE COATING FROM PIPE. DIVER IDENTIFIED A SMALL PINHOLE LEAK. THE GENERAL AREA HAD UT INSPECTION PERFORMED, AND NO INDICATIONS OF GENERALIZED CORROSION WERE IDENTIFIED. A REPAIR CLAMP WAS INSTALLED. THE PLATFORM VALVES WERE RE-OPENED. PLATFORM OPERATOR WAS ASKED TO BEGIN PRODUCTION INTO THE LINE TO INCREASE PRESSURE WHILE DIVE VESSEL MONITORED FOR LEAKS. AFTER THE INITIAL PRESSURIZATION, THE PIPELINE WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE IN INCREMENTAL STEPS WHILE DIVE VESSEL CONTINUALLY MONITORED LOCATION FOR SIGNS OF LEAK. AFTER DETERMINING THAT THE REPAIR WAS SUCCESSFUL, THE DIVE VESSEL DEPARTED LOCATION.

About This Pipeline Incident

Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.

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