ANR PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON 9 JANUARY 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 17:30 CST, A PIPELINE TECHNICIAN NOTIFIED TC OFFSHORE (TCO) AREA MANAGER OF A GAS AND CONDENSATE LEAK AT MAINLINE VALVE 3 (767-3-10) ON THE TC OFFSHORE 767 LATERAL NEAR THE GRAND CHENIER LIQUID HANDLING FACILITY. GAS WAS OBSERVED BUBBLING UP AROUND THE NECK OF THE BELOW GRADE 30-INCH BLOCK VALVE AND CONDENSATE WAS OBSERVED AT THE GROUND SURFACE OF THE VALVE WITHIN THE VALVE YARD. INITIAL CLEANUP ACTIONS TO CONTAIN CONDENSATE INCLUDED DISPATCHING A VACUUM TRUCK AND THE DEPLOYMENT ABSORBENT PADS AND BOOM. THE SITE WAS MONITORED DAILY WITH ADDITIONAL ABSORBENT MATERIALS DEPLOYED AS NECESSARY. ON 12 JANUARY, A FIELD TECHNICIAN REPORTED THAT SHEEN HAD MIGRATED FROM THE VALVE YARD TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OUTSIDE OF THE YARD VALVE FENCING CREATING SHEEN ON THE GROUND AND IN STANDING WATER. A TRANSCANADA ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST REPORTED THE RELEASE TO LOUISIANA STATE POLICE (LSP), INCIDENT #15-00155, AS A RELEASE OF CONDENSATE FROM THE VALVE SITE. AFTER INVESTIGATING AND EVALUATING OPTIONS TO REPAIR THE VALVE, IT WAS DECIDED TO ISOLATE THE 767 LATERAL FROM WEST CAMERON 171 TO THE GRAND CHENIER LIQUID HANDLING FACILITY AND REDUCE THE PRESSURE TO ALLOW FURTHER INVESTIGATION. ON 13 JANUARY, THE PIPELINE SECTION WAS ISOLATED AND THE LINE PRESSURE WAS REDUCED BY FLARED BLOW DOWN AT GRAND CHENIER LIQUID HANDLING FACILITY. PRESSURE REDUCTION AND FLARING CONTINUED UNTIL 19 JANUARY WHEN LINE PRESSURE WAS REDUCED TO ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION OF THE LEAK. TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE VALVE AND FURTHER INVESTIGATE, SOIL WAS EXCAVATED AND CONTAINERIZED ONSITE AND APPROVAL IS PENDING FOR TRANSPORTATION AND DISPOSAL. ADDITIONALLY, IMPACTED WATER RECOVERED FROM THE EXCAVATION HAS BEEN CONTAINERIZED FOR DISPOSAL. FOLLOWING THE EXCAVATION AND INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LEAK WAS THE RESULT OF A PRIMARY STEM SEAL FAILURE. THE PRIMARY STEM SEAL WAS REPLACED ON VALVE 767-3-10 WITH THE REPAIRS COMPLETED ON 28 JANUARY. FOLLOWING THE REPAIR, A PURGE AND LOAD PLAN WAS ESTABLISHED AND THE 767 LATERAL WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE ON 2 FEBRUARY 2015. IMPACTED SOIL AND WATER WILL REMAIN CONTAINERIZED AT THE SITE UNTIL APPROVED FOR TRANSPORTATION AND DISPOSAL. A DETERMINATION ON WHY THE STEM SEAL FAILED IS MOST LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO A MISALIGNMENT OR MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE FAILED O-RING SEAL WAS REMOVED FROM THE VALVE AND REPLACED WITH A NEW O-RING SEAL, WHICH REPAIRED THE LEAK AND ALLOWED THE LINE TO BE PLACED BACK INTO SERVICE. INITIAL ESTIMATES FOR THE REPAIR AND REMEDIATION OF THE VALVE AND VALVE SITE DID NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT NECESSARY TO REPORT THE INCIDENT TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER (NRC). FOLLOWING THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION AND DETERMINING ESTIMATES FOR THE VALVE REPAIR, THE TRANSPORTATION AND DISPOSAL OF IMPACTED SOIL AND WATER, AND REMEDIATION OF THE SITE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ESTIMATED REPAIR AND REMEDIATION FOR THE VALVE AND VALVE SITE BEGAN TO APPROACH AND COULD EXCEED $50,000 IN TOTAL COSTS. UPON MAKING THIS DETERMINATION ON 27 JANUARY, TRANSCANADA REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE NRC (REPORT # 1106719) AND CONTACTED PHMSA SOUTHWEST REGIONAL. FOLLOWING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE O-RING AND REPAIR OF THE VALVE, THE SITE WAS RESTORED AND REMEDIATED IN ACCORDANCE REGULATIONS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (LDEQ) AND THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (USEPA). LIQUID PRODUCT ALONG WITH IMPACTED WATER AND SOIL WAS RECOVERED AND TRANSPORTED FOR PROPER DISPOSAL AND THE SITE HAS BEEN RESTORED.