EXPLORER PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON JANUARY 21, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 16:30 CST A RELEASE OF 27.65 BARRELS OF TRANSMIX WAS DISCOVERED COMING FROM A GRAVITY FED ROOF DRAIN THAT WAS OPEN TO REMOVE WATER FROM EXTERNAL FLOATING ROOF TANK NUMBER 325. ONCE THE RELEASE WAS DISCOVERED, THE EMPLOYEE IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE ROOF DRAIN VALVE, AND INITIATED RESPONSE PROTOCOLS. A POST-ACCIDENT DRUG AND ALCOHOL TEST WAS CONDUCTED AND WAS NEGATIVE. DUE TO EXTREME COLD WEATHER, EXPLORER WAS PROACTIVELY WORKING TO KEEP WATER OUT OF THE EXTERNAL FLOATING ROOF (EFR) TANK DRAIN HOSES AT THE GLENPOOL TANK FARM. HOWEVER, RAINWATER FROZE WITHIN THE ROOF DRAIN HOSE IN SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES, WAS NOT ABLE TO DRAIN, AND THE DRAIN HOSE WAS DAMAGED WHEN THE ROOF BEGAN TO RISE WITH A TANK DELIVERY. INSPECTIONS WERE IMMEDIATELY CONDUCTED ON THE REMAINING EFR ROOF DRAINS TO CONFIRM ANY ICE IN THE DRAIN SYSTEM. THE TANK RECEIVED AN API 653 INSPECTION, AND THE RELEASE WAS REPORTED TO THE NRC ONCE IT WAS DETERMINED THE TANK INSPECTION COSTS WOULD EXCEED $50,000 REQUIRING NOTIFICATION PER 49 CFR 195.52. THE ROOF DRAIN IS A GRAVITY DRAIN, THEREFORE, PART E - ESTIMATED PRESSURE AT THE POINT AND TIME OF THE ACCIDENT (PSIG) REFLECTS 0 PSIG.