EXPLORER PIPELINE CO
hazardous_liquid Incident — — December 5, 2023
Incident Information
| Incident Date | December 5, 2023 |
| Operator | EXPLORER PIPELINE CO |
| Commodity | REFINED AND/OR PETROLEUM PRODUCT (NON-HVL) WHICH IS A LIQUID |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 29.90087, -94.00566 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | EQUIPMENT NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 4 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $15,000 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"ON DECEMBER 5, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 15:47 CST, A FLASH FIRE OCCURRED WHEN A CONTRACTOR WAS REPLACING THE LAUNCHER DOOR AT THE PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS TANK FARM. THE ASSOCIATED 28-INCH PIPELINE FROM PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS TO CEDAR BAYOU, TEXAS WAS NOT OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. IN ADVANCE OF THE CONTRACTOR WORK, EXPLORER DRAINED DOWN THE ASSOCIATED STATION PIPING UPSTREAM OF THE LAUNCHER AND INITIATED DOUBLE ISOLATION THAT WAS LOCKED-OUT. EXPLORER ADDITIONALLY DRAINED DOWN THE 28-INCH PIPELINE FROM THE LAUNCHER TO THE MAINLINE BLOCK VALVE AT MILE POST 8.9, CLOSED, AND LOCKED-OUT THE MAINLINE BLOCK VALVE. AN INDEPENDENT THIRD-PARTY WAS RETAINED AND COMPLETED THE ROOT CAUSE FAILURE ANALYSIS INVESTIGATION. THE ROOT CAUSE WAS A CONTRACTORS USE OF AN AIRBAG OUTSIDE OF MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS AND IMPROPER APPLICATION OF BENTONITE CLAY. PART A.7 OF THE 7000.1 REQUIRES A MINIMUM VOLUME OF 0.1 BARRELS TO SUBMIT THE REPORT. HOWEVER, NO FREE-PHASE PRODUCT WAS DISCOVERED."
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.