WOLVERINE PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

"WOLVERINE PIPE LINE (WPL) OCC RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE GRATIOT COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A POTENTIAL LEAK. OCC IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE AFFECTED LINE SEGMENT AND DISPATCHED PERSONNEL TO INVESTIGATE. UPON ARRIVING ON SITE, WPL PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THE RELEASE AND THE UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM BLOCK VALVES WERE CLOSED. PRODUCT APPEARED TO BE LEAKING OUT OF THE PIPELINE DIRECTLY INTO THE WATERS OF THE NEWARK-ARCADA DRAIN. AFTER EXCAVATING, IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE PIPELINE WAS DAMAGED BY A THID PARTY EXCAVATOR. THIS AREA OF DAMAGE CONTAINED A DENT WITH GOUGING WITHIN THE DENT. THE LEAK ORIGINATED FROM A CRACK WITHIN THIS GOUGE.THE DENT MEASURED APPROXIMATELY 20-INCHES LONG CONTAINING THE APPROXIMATELY 1-INCH-WIDE GOUGE WITHIN THE DENT. THE MECHANICAL DAMAGE WAS IDENTIFIED ALONG THE 9:00 O'CLOCK SIDE. THE CRACK ASSOCIATED MEASURED APPROXIMATELY 2.5-INCHES LONG X 0.053-INCH DEEP. NEW PIPING WAS INSTALLED UNDERNEATH THE NEWARK-ARCADA DRAIN AT A DEPTH OF 32"", PRESSURE TESTED, AND THE PIPELINE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS. WOLVERINE IS WORKING WITH THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND THE GRATIOT COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSION TO DETERMINE THE INVOLVED THIRD PARTY."