ENBRIDGE PIPELINES (TOLEDO) INC

Incident Narrative

ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:08 AM EDT TERMINAL OPERATIONS AT STOCKBRIDGE TERMINAL DISCOVERED A RELEASE ON UNIT 1 IN THE LINE 17 PUMPHOUSE. AN ESTIMATED HALF-GALLON OF CRUDE OIL DRIPPED ONTO THE BASE OF UNIT 1. PRODUCT WAS CLEANED UP AND THE UNIT WAS ISOLATED AND LOCKED OUT UNTIL TECHNICIANS ARRIVED TO DRAIN THE UNIT. AT 10:00 AM EDT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE UNIT WOULD NEED TO BE REMOVED TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR WHICH WOULD EXCEED THE $50,000 NRC REPORTING THRESHOLD. THE NRC WAS NOTIFIED AT 10:33 AM EDT (NRC # 1347060). THE 48-HOUR NRC UPDATED WAS MADE ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 AT 3:24 PM EDT (NRC # 1347181). THE SOURCE OF THE RELEASE WAS A CRACK IN THE WELD BETWEEN THE PUMP HOUSING AND BALANCE LINE WHICH REQUIRED THE UNIT TO BE REMOVED AND SENT TO THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER FOR REPAIR AND ASSESSMENT. THE UNIT REMAINED OUT OF SERVICE UNTIL IT WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER IN DECEMBER 2022. THE MANUFACTURER REPAIRED THE WELDED CONNECTION AND INSTALLED WELDED SUPPORTS FOR THE BALANCE LINE. THE UNIT WAS REINSTALLED ON APRIL 20, 2023 AND WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. THE INVESTIGATION AND SUBSEQUENT ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE CRACK WAS A DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING WELD. THE WEIGHT OF AN UNSUPPORTED BALANCE LINE COMBINED WITH VIBRATION AND STRESS OVER TIME IS ALSO BELIEVED TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. TO PREVENT REOCCURRENCE, AN ANALYSIS WILL BE PERFORMED ON THE OTHER TWO LINE 17 UNITS AT STOCKBRIDGE TO ENSURE INTEGRITY OF THE BALANCE LINES. DETAILS OF THIS RELEASE WERE REVIEWED AND COMMUNICATED WITHIN THE GREAT LAKES REGION TO SPREAD KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS. THE ACTUAL VOLUME RELEASED AT STOCKBRIDGE TERMINAL WAS 0.01 BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL. THE PHMSA PORTAL DOES NOT RECOGNIZE VOLUMES LESS THAN 0.1 BARRELS THEREFORE THAT IS THE VOLUME ENTERED.