KINDER MORGAN LIQUID TERMINALS, LLC

Incident Narrative

ON 12/23/2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 0545 (CENTRAL) THE KMLT WOOD RIVER TERMINAL DISCOVERED A RELEASE OF GASOLINE DUE TO A GIRTH WELD FAILURE OF THE 12-INCH SHORT SUCTION LINE FROM TANK 268 TO THE TANK 107 HEADER. AT APPROXIMATELY 0610, THE VALVE TO/FROM TANK 268 AT THE 280 HEADER WAS CLOSED, THEREBY ISOLATING/STOPPING MORE PRODUCT FROM THE TANK REACHING THE FAILURE POINT IN THE PIPING. THE CUMULATIVE AMOUNT OF GASOLINE RELEASED INTO THE FACILITY CONTAINMENT WAS 11,694 BBL. NONE OF THE RELEASE LEFT CONTAINMENT NOR KMLT'S FACILITY BOUNDARY. ALL FREE-STANDING GASOLINE HAS BEEN REMOVED AND REMEDIATION IS ONGOING. THE METALLURGICAL TEST REPORT DISCLOSED, THE GIRTH WELD LEAK WAS A RESULT OF A PRE-EXISTING CRACK DERIVED FROM THE GIRTH WELD FABRICATION. THE FRACTURE ORIGINATED AT A PRE-EXISTING GIRTH WELD CRACK LOCATED AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 O'CLOCK POSITION OF THE PIPELINE. THE PRE-EXISTING CRACK WAS FORMED BY THE FRACTURE OF WELD METAL DISCONTINUITIES, IN THIS CASE LACK OF FUSION ALONG THE CENTERLINE OF THE WELD. THE LOW TEMPERATURE REDUCED THE TOUGHNESS OF THE GIRTH WELD MAKING IT SUSCEPTIBLE TO CRACK INITIATION. THE CONCRETE BLOCK LOCATED UNDER THE GIRTH WELD ACTED AS A FULCRUM ARM CREATING A STRESS CONCENTRATION ON THE WELD. IN ADDITION, THE TEE AND VALVE NEARBY WERE NOT SUPPORTED; THIS PIPING CONFIGURATION ADDED EXTRA WEIGHT AND PROVIDED THE BENDING MOMENT IN THE TOP QUARTER OF THE GIRTH WELD. THE LACK OF FUSION IN THE GIRTH WELD, COULD NOT SUPPORT THE CUMULATIVE STRESSES AND WEIGHT AND FAILED. EVIDENCE OF PROGRESSIVE CRACK GROWTH SUCH AS FATIGUE AND/OR ENVIRONMENTAL CRACKING WAS NOT OBSERVED. THE PRELIMINARY ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THE LOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURE, CONCRETE BLOCK BELOW THE GIRTH WELD AND NEARBY TEES AND VALVES NOT BEING PROPERLY SUPPORTED ALL MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE GIRTH WELD FAILURE.