"FLINT HILLS RESOURCES, LC"

Incident Narrative

"05/23/2025- UPDATED PART G APPARENT CAUSE & UPDATED PART H NARRATIVE _________________________________________________________________________________ FLINT HILLS RESOURCES ENGAGED A THIRD-PARTY TO CONDUCT AN INCIDENT INVESTIGATION. THE ANALYSIS CONCLUDED THAT USING THE FOREMAN NITE CAP PLUG WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR VAPOR ISOLATION WITH PIPES WITH A LONGITUDINAL DOUBLE SUBMERGED ARC WELD (DSAW) SEAM. WHEN TIGHTENED, THE NITE CAP GASKET SEALED AROUND THE PIPE, EXCEPT AT THE DSAW SEAM. THIS PROVIDED A PATHWAY FOR VAPORS TO ESCAPE. THIS ALONG WITH THE USE OF THE ACETYLENE TORCH DURING HOT CUTTING, RESULTED IN A FLASHFIRE. ADDITIONALLY, FLINT HILLS RESOURCES CONDUCTED AN INTERNAL ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS USING CAUSE MAPPING TO SUPPLEMENT THE THIRD-PARTY INCIDENT INVESTIGATION. THE CAUSE MAPPING IDENTIFIED A FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES. _______________________________________________________________________________ ON APRIL 25, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:24AM, A FLASHFIRE OCCURRED AT THE FLINT HILLS RESOURCES CLEARBROOK TERMINAL WHILE A CREW WAS PREPARING TO INSTALL A NEWLY FABRICATED T-SECTION OF PIPING. THE FLASH FIRE OCCURRED AS THE CREWS WERE PREPARING THE EXISTING PIPE FACE FOR WELDING, WHICH INVOLVED BACK BEVELING USING A TORCH. WORK WAS IMMEDIATELY STOPPED, AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY ON SITE PERSONNEL. THE FIRE RESULTED IN ONE INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING SECOND DEGREE BURNS. THE INDIVIDUAL WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT AND WAS DISCHARGED LATER THAT DAY. AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, APPROXIMATELY 2 CUPS OF CRUDE OIL WERE OBSERVED IN THE EXCAVATION. THE CRUDE OIL WAS CLEANED UP AND THE CONTAMINATED SOIL WAS DISPOSED OF. NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE TO THE NRC AND MINNESOTA DUTY OFFICER. AFTER THE INCIDENT, FHR DEVELOPED A NEW ISOLATION AND EXECUTION PLAN THAT WAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY PIPELINE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (PHMSA) AND THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF PIPELINE SAFETY (MNOPS). THE NEW T-SECTION WAS INSTALLED 05/01/2024, AND THE LINE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO SERVICE ON 05/02/2024. A FAILURE ANALYSIS IS BEING CONDUCTED BY A THIRD-PARTY COMPANY, WITH FEEDBACK PROVIDED BY PHMSA AND MNOPS."