NATURAL GAS PIPELINE CO OF AMERICA (KMI)

Incident Narrative

JUNE 17, 2015: BP AMOCO CALLED NATURAL GAS PIPELINE COMPANY OF AMERICA (NGPL) TO REPORT A HISSING SOUND IN THE VICINITY OF NGPL ROW. LOCAL NGPL OPERATIONS PERSONNEL SECURED THE AREA AND NOTIFIED NGPL GAS CONTROL AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT OF A POSSIBLE LEAK. THE AREA WAS UNDER 2 TO 3-FEET OF WATER THEREFORE THE SYSTEM WAS SHUT-IN TO ATTEMPT TO VERIFY WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS AN NGPL LEAK. TO FURTHER IDENTIFY THE PIPELINE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LEAK, LOCAL NGPL OPERATIONS PERSONNEL ALSO ISSUED AN EMERGENCY ONE CALL TO PROMPT IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM OTHER PIPELINE OPERATORS IN THE AREA. JUNE 18, 2015: THE PRESSURES HAD NOT DROPPED AND THE LEAK WAS STILL UNCONFIRMED AT 12:48. A DETERMINATION WAS MADE TO REPORT TO THE NRC IN THE EVENT THAT IT WAS VERIFIED AS AN NGPL NATURAL GAS LEAK. OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED THE LOCAL OPERATIONS TO BLOWDOWN THE PIPELINE SECTION. BUBBLES STOPPED AFTER BLOWDOWN WAS COMPLETE. THE LEAK WAS CONFIRMED AS NGPL'S AT 19:22. AUGUST 12, 2015: METALLURGICAL REPORT COMPLETED. THE LEAK WAS LOCATED AT THE 10:56 CIRCUMFERENTIAL POSITION ADJACENT TO THE ELECTRIC FLASH WELD SEAM. CORROSION, LIGHTNING STRIKE, AND THIRD-PARTY DAMAGE DETERMINED UNLIKELY BASED ON FINDINGS. NO EVIDENCE OF STRESS CORROSION CRACKING. THE LEAK AREA WAS ERODED SUCH THAT THERE WAS NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE OF A ROOT CAUSE. NOTE THAT THE INCIDENT TIME (PART A. 4) HAS BEEN ESTIMATED BASED ON THE CONDITION OF THE LEAK AREA.