HARVEST MIDSTREAM COMPANY
hazardous_liquid Incident — — March 25, 2024
Incident Information
| Incident Date | March 25, 2024 |
| Operator | HARVEST MIDSTREAM COMPANY |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 28.40898, -92.21399 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | NON-THREADED CONNECTION FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $10,000 |
| Emergency Response | $1,000 |
| Other Costs | $8,473 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"ON MARCH 25, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:48 A.M., A HARVEST OPERATOR DISCOVERED A LEAK FROM THE SEAL OF TANK 5200 MIXER B, WITH AN ESTIMATED RELEASE OF 1 BARREL OF CRUDE OIL. THE LEAK WAS ISOLATED AND STOPPED BY 8:20 A.M., AND THE SITE WAS CLEANED. THE TANK MIXER AND BREAKER WERE LOCKED OUT PENDING REPAIRS. UPON MIXER REMOVAL ON JULY 20, 2024, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE IMPELLER HAD DETACHED FROM THE SHAFT, THOUGH THE IMPELLER COULD NOT BE RECOVERED DUE TO THE TANK REMAINING IN SERVICE. THE FAILED MIXER WAS REPLACED WITH A REFURBISHED UNIT ON AUGUST 12, 2024. ANALYSIS BY JENSEN MIXERS INTERNATIONAL IDENTIFIED THAT SEDIMENT AND SLUDGE BUILDUP CAUSED WEAR ON THE SEAL FACE, LEADING TO THE SEAL'S FAILURE. THE IMPELLER-SHAFT SEPARATION LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE BY CREATING A VORTEX THAT DIRECTED SEDIMENT TOWARD THE SEAL, ACCELERATING WEAR. THE EXACT TIMING OF THE IMPELLER DETACHMENT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. EFFORTS TO RECOVER THE IMPELLER WILL BE MADE DURING THE NEXT INTERNAL TANK INSPECTION. MIXER LEAK INDICATORS WILL ALSO BE INCORPORATED INTO HARVEST'S MONTHLY INSPECTION PROCEDURES FOR ENHANCED MONITORING."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.