FLINT HILLS RESOURCES, LC

Incident Narrative

ON 10-21-23 AT 2:35 AM THE PIPELINE CONTROL CENTER RECEIVED A CALL FROM REFINERY PERSONNEL INDICATING A RELEASE FROM A VALVE INSIDE THE REFINERY. UPON RECEIPT OF THE CALL, THE PIPELINE CONTROL CENTER SHUT DOWN TEXAS PIPELINE 1. AT 2:44 AM THE PIPELINE CONTROL CENTER NOTIFIED PIPELINE OPERATION'S PERSONNEL THAT TPL1 HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN DUE TO AN OBSERVED RELEASE OF PRODUCT. AT 3:29 AM PIPELINE OPERATION'S PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON-SITE AND OBSERVED A RELEASE OF APPROXIMATELY 105 GALLONS OF GASOLINE FROM A SEAL ON A JURISDICTIONAL CONTROL VALVE ON TEXAS PIPELINE 1. UPON ARRIVAL, REFINERY PERSONNEL INDICATED THAT THEY HAD BEGUN CLEAN UP AND CONTAINMENT. PIPELINE OPERATION'S PERSONNEL INITIATED VALVE ISOLATION IN ORDER TO DRAIN DOWN THE LINE AND BEGIN REPAIR. AT 9:40 AM THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED, AND THE LINE WAS RESTARTED. AT 4:22 AM AN FHR REPRESENTATIVE NOTIFIED RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS' 24-HOUR EMERGENCY LINE. AT 4:30 AM IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ESTIMATED RELEASE COSTS MAY EXCEED $50,000 AND AN FHR REPRESENTATIVE MADE A PRECAUTIONARY NOTIFICATION TO NRC. AFTER THE INCIDENT CONCLUDED, COSTS WERE EVALUATED, AND THE EVENT DID NOT EXCEED THE IMMEDIATE NRC REPORTING CRITERIA OF $50,000. THROUGH INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LOWER TRUNNION SEAL ON THE CONTROL VALVE FAILED CAUSING A RELEASE OF APPROXIMATELY 105 GALLONS. DURING THE REPAIR PROCESS, 20-MICRON DEBRIS WAS DISCOVERED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE VALVE IN THE TRUNNION SEAL AND SPACERS. THIS STYLE VALVE HAS AN EXPOSED TRUNNION THAT RELIES ON THE SEALS TO PREVENT EXTERNAL LEAKAGE. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT PRODUCT WAS NOT BEING FILTERED PROPERLY, ALLOWING LARGER DEBRIS TO BYPASS THE FILTER VESSELS UPSTREAM OF THE PUMP STATION AND ULTIMATELY ENTER THE CONTROL VALVE CAUSING ABNORMAL WEAR/EROSION ON THE TRUNNION SEAL.