SFPP, LP

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 16:05, LOCAL PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON SITE AT NILAND TO PREPARE FOR A GAUGE PLATE PIG RUN WHEN THEY DISCOVERED PRODUCT RELEASING FROM THE 20-INCH GRAVITOMETER PUMP WHICH FEEDS INTO THE 20-INCH LS-111 PIPELINE. THEY WERE ABLE TO ISOLATE THE UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM VALVES AND STOP THE RELEASE. AN ESTIMATED 22.6 GALLONS OF GASOLINE WAS RELEASE FROM THE PUMP. LOCAL STAFF WITH THE HELP OF PIPELINE MAINTENANCE WERE ABLE TO CLEAN-UP ALL THE RELEASED PRODUCT AND CONTAMINATED SOIL. PRIOR TO RESTARTING THE 20-INCH LS-111 PIPELINE, THE FAILED PUMP WAS REMOVED, AND THE INLET AND OUTLET PIPING PLUGGED OR CAPPED AS APPROPRIATE. INITIAL INVESTIGATION OF THE PUMP FOUND THE BEARINGS FOR THE INTERNAL PUMP GEARS HAD FAILED, ALLOWING THE PUMP GEARS TO MAKE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE GEAR CASING AS THE PUMP OPERATED. THE PUMP GEARS WORE A HOLE IN THE GEAR CASING AND EVENTUALLY THE PUMP CASING ITSELF, RESULTING IN A RELEASE. THE PUMP WILL BE REPLACED DUE TO THE DAMAGE TO THE GEAR CASING AND PUMP BODY. 12/18/2023 UPDATE: INVESTIGATION CONFIRMED THAT THE FAILURE OF THE GRAVITOMETER PUMP'S BEARING RESULTED IN MISALIGNMENT OF THE DRIVE MAGNETS. THIS ALLOWED THE PUMP INTERNALS TO CONTACT THE PUMP HOUSING, WEARING A HOLE IN THE HOUSING RESULTING IN THE RELEASE. THE DAMAGED PUMP AND MOTOR WERE REPLACED AS PLANNED.