COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON DECEMBER 11TH 2023, AN OPERATOR WAS CALLED OUT TO REMINGTON STATION FOR A HIGH OIL WATER SEPARATOR (OWS) ALARM. UPON INSPECTION OF THE OWS THERE WAS PRODUCT PRESENT. THE OPERATOR PROCEEDED TO INSPECT WELLS (EQUIPMENT SITE WELLS) AND FOUND PRODUCT AND BEGAN MAKING NOTIFICATIONS FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE. DURING MOBILIZATION OF THE ER CREWS, SITE PERSONNEL ISOLATED THE OWS & POND VALVES AND INVESTIGATED FURTHER TO DETERMINE INITIAL SIZE UP OF IMPACT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ER CREWS TO WORK IN THE CORRECT LOCATIONS UPON ARRIVAL. PRODUCT WAS FOUND IN WELLS THROUGHOUT THE YARD IN VARYING DEGREES THAT WERE CENTERED AROUND WELLS OF THE MAINLINE STATION VALVES FOR LINE 4, WHICH HAD THE HEAVIEST INDICATION OF PRODUCT. LINE 4 WAS SHUT DOWN. WHEN CREWS ARRIVED, PRODUCT/WATER WAS EVACUATED FROM ALL WELLS AND EXCAVATIONS BEGAN IN THE AREA WITH THE HEAVIEST INDICATION OF PRODUCT. NRC WAS NOTIFIED ONCE IT WAS DETERMINED THE $50K THRESHOLD WAS GOING TO BE EXCEEDED. THE POINT SOURCE WAS IDENTIFIED AT 1011 EST DURING INITIAL EXCAVATIONS/RECOVERY. ONCE CLEANED UP TO PREPARE FOR REPAIR THE FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A BREAK IN THE TUBING CONNECTED TO THE BODY OF THE LINE 4 ALTERNATE MAINLINE CHECK VALVE BODY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. UPDATE 4/25/2024: ANALYSIS OF THE TUBING INDICATED THAT THE TUBING FACTURE OCCURRED DUE TO DUCTILE OVERLOAD. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LOCATION OF THE FITTING END THAT CREATED A NOTCH THAT SERVED AS A STRESS CONCENTRATOR. UPDATE 6/10/2024 'VOLUME RECOVERED' AND 'TOTAL PROPERTY DAMAGE' UPDATED