TALLGRASS PONY EXPRESS PIPELINE, LLC

Incident Narrative

WHEN OPERATIONS PERSONNEL ARRIVED AT THE GRASSLANDS TERMINAL FACILITY AT 07:00, CRUDE WAS NOTICED ON THE GROUND WITHIN THE FACILITY PROPERTY BOUNDARIES. THE SUPERVISOR WAS IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED OF THE RELEASE. IT APPEARED THAT THE RELEASE HAD OCCURRED ON A 3-INCH BALON SERIES F CARBON STEEL CLASS 150 BALL VALVE ON SURGE RELIEF BYPASS LINE AT THE 8030 SKID AT THE GRASSLANDS TERMINAL FACILITY. OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER WAS CALLED TO SHUT DOWN AND ISOLATE THE 8030 SKID AT 07:15. COMMAND CENTER WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE WEST SIDE OF TERMINAL DUE TO WIND OUT OF THE WEST, THEN AREA WAS TAPED OFF. EMERGENCY ONE CALLS AND THE OSRO CONTRACTOR WAS CALLED AT 07:30. ONCE CONFIRMED DISCOVERY WAS REACHED AT 09:30, DETAILS WERE COORDINATED WITH COMPLIANCE AND A NOTIFICATION WAS MADE TO THE NRC AT 10:23 IN REPORT #1332138. THE OSRO CONTRACTOR ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 10:30 TO VAC LIQUID. ALL EMERGENCY ONE CALLS WERE CLEARED. THE VALVE LEAKED FROM AN EXTRUSION OF THE O-RING BETWEEN THE FLANGE FACES OF THE VALVE BODY AND THE ADAPTER. A THIRD PARTY, STRESS ENGINEERING, INVESTIGATED THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE (SEPARATION OF BODY FLANGE FACES) AND CONCLUDED THAT THE BOLTED BODY CONNECTION NUTS MANUFACTURED BY BALON EXHIBITED LOWER BREAKOUT TORQUES ON THE VALVE BODY DUE TO INSUFFICIENT MAKEUP TORQUE AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE. PIPING VIBRATION, STUD YIELDING, AND O-RING DEGRADATION WERE ALSO ANALYZED, BUT EVIDENCE DID NOT ATTRIBUTE THESE MECHANISMS TO THE FAILURE. IT WAS ULTIMATELY DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT (LOW BODY BOLT TORQUE). IN RESPONSE TO THIS, THE ORIGINAL FLOATING BALL VALVE AT SKID 8030 WILL BE REPLACED WITH A 3-INCH CAMERON T31 TRUNNION MOUNTED VALVE OR EQUIVALENT WELDED BODY VALVE, WHICH DOES NOT CONTAIN A SPLIT BODY SEAL. VALVES IN IDENTICAL ALIGNMENT (SURGE RELIEF BYPASS VALVES) ON SKIDS 8020, 8010, AND 8000 AT THE GRASSLANDS FACILITY WILL BE PROACTIVELY REPLACED. WHILE TALLGRASS' INVESTIGATION HAS INDICATED THIS IS AN ISOLATED ISSUE AT THIS FACILITY INVOLVING BALON VALVES, IT WILL CONTINUE TO ANALYZE WHETHER SIMILAR VALVE REPLACEMENTS ARE NECESSARY ACROSS ITS SYSTEMS OR WHETHER ANY PROCEDURAL REVISIONS MAY BE NECESSARY IN LIGHT OF THIS EVENT.