PANHANDLE EASTERN PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

AT 8:07 AM ON MAY 29, 2011, PANHANDLE EASTERN PIPE LINE COMPANY RECEIVED A CALL FROM A RETIRED EMPLOYEE REPORTING BLOWING GAS AT THE BORCHERS STORAGE FIELD. A PEPL EMPLOYEE WAS AT THE FIELD AND ISOLATED THE AFFECTED LINE SEGMENT WITHIN 23 MINUTES. VISUAL OBSERVATION OF THE FAILED PIPE SEGMENT INDICATES INTERNAL WALL LOSS DUE TO CORROSION FOR 5 FEET IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRACTURE IMMEDIATELY DOWNSTREAM OF A 4"" TO 6"" REDUCER, IN A LOW POINT OF THE PIPE. LABORATORY ANALYSIS OF THE FAILED PIPE SEGMENT CONCLUDED THAT THE INTERNAL CORROSION WAS LIKELY THE RESULT OF AQUEOUS CORROSION CAUSED BY WATER AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS IN THE PRODUCT STREAM. IT IS ALSO LIKELY THAT UNDER DEPOSIT CORROSION CREATED THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT THAT RESULTED IN THE CORROSION OBSERVED. THE CORROSION DEPOSITS WERE NOT CONSISTENT WITH MICROBIOLOGICAL-ASSISTED CORROSION, AND THE CORROSION WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE ERW SEAM. **THIS REPORT IS BEING SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO PHMSA'S REQUEST FOR SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTS FROM OPERATORS WHO SUBMITTED REPORTS FOR INCIDENTS OCCURRING AFTER JANUARY 1, 2010, WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: (1) ``PIPE GIRTH WELD'' WAS SELECTED AS THE ``ITEM INVOLVED IN INCIDENT'' IN PART C3 OF THE REPORT. THE REVISED REPORT COLLECTS DATA ABOUT THE PIPE ADJACENT TO THE GIRTH WELD. (2) ``FUNCTION OF PIPELINE SYSTEM'' IS NULL IN PART E5F OF THE REPORT. THE REVISED REPORT COLLECTS THE FUNCTION OF THE PIPELINE SYSTEM FOR ALL INCIDENTS. THIS REPORT HAS NO FURTHER UPDATES AND IS BEING SUBMITTED AS A FINAL.