NATURAL GAS PIPELINE CO OF AMERICA (KMI)

Incident Narrative

LIGHTING TRIPPED A BREAKER, CAUSING A LOSS OF STATION AIR SUPPLY. THE LOSS OF AIR SUPPLY ALLOWED A FAIL OPEN ACTUATOR TO OPERATE AND VENT THE NATURAL GAS FROM A COMPRESSOR UNIT AS DESIGNED. THE EXCESSIVE RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS WAS CAUSED BY THE 12"" UNIT DISCHARGE VALVE NOT BEING 100% CLOSED. THE ROOT CAUSE OF UNIT DISCHARGE VALVE NOT BEING CLOSED WAS INADEQUATE PROCEDURES FOR PERFORMING THE STATION ANNUAL ESD TEST. THIS STATION HAS NOT BEEN IN OPERATION FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BUT IS HOOKED TO THE PIPELINE AND IS TESTED ANNUALLY. IN THE STEPS OF THE PROCEDURE, IT WAS WORDED AS ""UNIT DISCHARGE VALVES SHOULD CLOSE"". THE UNIT DISCHARGE VALVES ARE ACTUATED. AT THE LAST ANNUAL ESD TEST PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THE ACTUATOR FAILED TO CLOSE THE VALVE 100%. THE ANNUAL ESD TEST PROCEDURE WAS WRITTEN DURING A TIME PERIOD WHEN THE STATION WAS RUNNING, AND IF A UNIT DESHARGE VALVE WAS NOT CLOSED IT WOULD BEEN KNOWN IMMEDIATELY. SINCE THE STATION IS NOT RUNNING IT WAS NOT VERIFIED AS CLOSED AT THE LAST ANNUAL ESD TEST. A STEP WAS ADDED TO THE PROCEDURE WORDED - ""VERIFY EACH UNIT DESHARGE VALVE IS CLOSED"" TO MAKE SURE THIS ISSUE DOES NOT ARISE IN THE FUTURE.