NUSTAR PIPELINE OPERATING PARTNERSHIP L.P.
hazardous_liquid Incident — — August 26, 2025
Incident Information
| Incident Date | August 26, 2025 |
| Operator | NUSTAR PIPELINE OPERATING PARTNERSHIP L.P. |
| Commodity | HVL OR OTHER FLAMMABLE OR TOXIC FLUID WHICH IS A GAS AT AMBI |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 30.49683, -91.62127 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $22,600 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"A HUNTER CAME UPON AN AREA OF DEAD VEGETATION AND AN AMMONIA ODOR AND CALLED THE CONTROL CENTER AROUND 9:20AM ON 8/26. THE PIPELINE WAS SHUTDOWN OUT OF PRECAUTION AND LOCAL PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED AND ARRIVED ONSITE AND CONFIRMED A RELEASE AT 11:48AM. ALL AGENCY NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE. THE MAINTENANCE CREW WAS DISPATCHED AND BEGAN EXCAVATING ON 8/28 AND FOUND A SPLIT SEAM ON A STOPPLE TEE THAT CAUSED THE RELEASE. THE LEAK WAS STOPPED AT 12:50PM ON THE 28TH. A CALCULATED AMOUNT OF 1.48BBLS (324LBS) WAS RELEASED. **UPDATE** THE SIZE OF THE LEAK WAS MEASURED AS 1/64-INCH DIAMETER HOLE IN THE SIDE SEAM WELD. THIS WAS NOT SENT FOR METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS AS IT APPEARED TO HAVE THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS AS A PREVIOUS STOPPLE SIDE SEAM FAILURE DEPICTING WELD DEFECTS WITH LACK OF FUSION AND LACK OF PENETRATION OF THE WELD. TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS THREAT, WE HAVE INITIATED A PROGRAM TO EXCAVATE AND INSPECT HIGH PRIORITY STOPPLES ON OUR MAINLINE. THIS EFFORT STARTED IN NOVEMBER OF 2025 AND IS CURRENTLY ONGOING. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SIMILAR STYLE STOPPLE TEES AND PLAN TO REMOVE UPWARDS OF 56 STOPPLES OVER THE COURSE OF 2026."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.