MARATHON PIPE LINE LLC

Incident Narrative

ON 12/6/23, THE STATION OPERATOR WAS COMPLETING STATION CHECKS AND OBSERVED JET FUEL IN THE CONTAINMENT AT LOUISVILLE ALGONQUIN STATION. A TANK-TO-TANK TRANSFER MOVEMENT WAS UNDERWAY FROM THE CERTIFIED TANK TO THE SHIPPING TANK THAT WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN, ALONG WITH ALL OTHER MOVEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STATION. THE TRANSFER WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE RELEASE. A BALL VALVE USED FOR WATER DRAWS ON THE FILTERS WAS COMPROMISED, ALLOWING PRODUCT TO ESCAPE THE FILTER. A VOLUME OF 252 BBL OVERFLOWED FROM THE SUMP AND THE CONNECTED OIL WATER SEPARATOR AND INTO CONTAINMENT. THE VOLUME IN THE SUMP AND CONNECTED OIL WATER SEPARATOR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RELEASE TOTAL. THE BALL VALVES ON THE FILTERS ARE UPSTREAM OF A SINGLE WATER DRAW OUTLET VALVE THAT CAN BE PLUGGED WHEN NOT IN USE. AFTER THE PREVIOUS WATER DRAW ON 12/5/23, THE DOWNSTREAM VALVE REMAINED OPEN, AND THE PLUG WAS NOT INSTALLED, AS NO PROCEDURE REQUIRED EITHER ACTION. SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE: PART G6 WAS UPDATED TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE. THE VALVE FAILED TO HOLD FROM APPARENT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. STEPS TAKEN TO PREVENT RECURRENCE ARE AS FOLLOWS; UPDATES TO THE PROCEDURE FOR TANK-TO-TANK TRANSFERS TO INCLUDE VALVE POSITION VERIFICATION AND INCREASED STATUS CHECK FREQUENCY; THE CREATION OF A PROCEDURE FOR PERFORMING A WATER DRAW THAT INCLUDES VALVE STATUS VERIFICATION; THE REPLACEMENT OF THE OUTLET GATE VALVE WITH AN OUTLET BALL VALVE AND PLUG AS AN ANCILLARY INTEGRITY SAFEGUARD; PLANS TO REPLACE ALL WATER DRAW BALL VALVES ON FILTERS. SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE 2: CHANGED TO FINAL REPORT. UPON COMPLETION OF THE INVESTIGATION, PART G6, OTHER EQUIPMENT FAILURE, WAS CHANGED TO READ WATER DRAW VALVE HAD A LOOSE SEAT THAT BINDS UP THE VALVE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE. THE BALL STOPPED ROTATING BEFORE IT COULD REACH THE FULL CLOSED POSITION. SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE 3: 03/08/2024 D7 AND D7A WERE UPDATED TO CORRECT HCA. THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN A HPA.