KINDER MORGAN LIQUID TERMINALS, LLC

Incident Narrative

ON 07/09/2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 1120, A THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR WAS PERFORMING NEW CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES AND STAGING PIPING IN PREPARATION FOR A HYDROTEST NEAR THE TARGA SKID (ACTIVE). ACTIVITIES INCLUDED LIFTING A NEW SECTION OF 6-INCH PIPE USING A TELESCOPIC FORKLIFT WITH JIB ATTACHMENT. AS THE NEW PIPE SPOOL WAS BEING LIFTED IT IMPACTED AN ADJACENT FLANGE ASSEMBLY (EQUIPPED WITH A 2-INCH THREADED NIPPLE AND VALVE) INSTALLED ON AN EXISTING 6-INCH HIGH SULFUR NATURAL GASOLINE PIPELINE. THE THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR FAILED TO FOLLOW THE PROCESS AND DID NOT NOTIFY COMPANY PERSONNEL OF THE LIFTING ACTIVITY THAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE IMPACT WAS A RELEASE OF 17.3 BARRELS OF PRODUCT OUTSIDE OF CONTAINMENT THAT FOUND AN IGNITION SOURCE RESULTING IN A FIRE. SUBSEQUENTLY, DUE TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESPONSE EFFORTS, A SMALL AMOUNT OF RUNOFF WATER (CONTAMINATED WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF PRODUCT) REACHED THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL. THE AREA WAS ISOLATED BY OPERATOR WITH HARD BOOM AT 1340. OSRO WAS DISPATCHED AT 1220 TO ASSIST WITH THE CLEANING EFFORTS. ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP WAS COMPLETED AT 2230. APPROXIMATELY 0.01 BARRELS OF PRODUCT WAS RECOVERED BY THE OSRO. THE REMAINING PRODUCT WAS CONSUMED BY THE FIRE. THE PIPELINE IS STILL OUT OF SERVICE UNTIL REPAIRS CAN BE PERFORMED. THE PIPELINE WAS RETURNED BACK IN SERVICE ON 8/9/2023.