SINCLAIR TRANSPORTATION COMPANY

Incident Narrative

ON 8/19/2021 NEW PIPING WAS INSTALLED AT COUNTY ROAD 20 (CR20). TIE-IN WORK CONSISTED OF TWO TIE-IN WELDS; ONE ON THE NORTH END AND ONE ON THE SOUTH END, AND FIVE BOLT UPS. SOME OF THE BOLT UPS WERE ON ANSI #600 FLANGES AND SOME WERE ON ANSI #900 FLANGES. THE PIPE INSTALLATION WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY A COMBINATION OF THE SINCLAIR CONSTRUCTION GROUP AND A CONTRACTOR. THE SINCLAIR PERSONNEL ACTED AS THE QUALIFIED OQ INDIVIDUALS OBSERVING OTHER NON-QUALIFIED OQ INDIVIDUALS (CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL) IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 6.6 IN SINCLAIR'S OQ WRITTEN PLAN. DURING NORMAL OPERATIONS THE MOV TO THE THIRD-PARTY SHIPPER IS OPEN AND LINE PRESSURE RANGES BETWEEN 70 PSI AND 170 PSI DEPENDING ON INCOMING FLOW RATES INTO THE SYSTEM. ON 10/6/21 SINCLAIR OPERATIONS PERSONNEL ALIGNED THE CR20 PIG TRAPS FOR PERIODIC MAINTENANCE PIGGING. PART OF THIS PROCESS IS TO CLOSE A VALVE (CR20 MOV) TO THE THIRD-PARTY SHIPPER ENABLING ALL FLOW TO GO NORTH TO THE NORTH TRAP. DURING MAINTENANCE PIGGING NORMAL OPERATING PRESSURE RANGES BETWEEN 600 PSI AND 800 PSI. AT 07:30 THE CR20 MOV WAS CLOSED AND A PIG WAS LAUNCHED WITHOUT INCIDENT. SOME TIME LATER A LEAK DEVELOPED AT A FLANGE ON THE NORTH LINE. UPON DISCOVERY OF THE LEAK THE CR20 MOV WAS OPENED, REDUCING THE PRESSURE AND LEAK FLOW RATE. FURTHER ISOLATION OF THE LEAKING FLANGE ENSUED. REMAINING LINE PRESSURE AND LINE FILL AT THE FLANGE WAS THEN DRAINED INTO THE SUMP. UPON DISASSEMBLY OF THE ANSI #900 FLANGE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE GASKET USED WAS A MISTAKENLY INSTALLED ANSI #600 GASKET. THIS GASKET WAS RESTING ON THE BOTTOM BOLTS. SOME OF THE WINDINGS WERE UNRAVELING AND IT WAS OBSERVED THE SEALING SURFACE OF THE GASKET AT THE 6 O'CLOCK POSITION WAS MISSHAPEN. THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF A PROPERLY SIZED GASKET IS DESIGNED SUCH THAT IT SELF-CENTERS ON THE FLANGE WHEN RESTING ON THE BOLTS. THEREFORE THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE #600 GASKET DID NOT LINE UP WITH THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE FLANGE BORE. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE SEALING SURFACE OF THE RAISED FACE OF THE FLANGE ONLY PARTIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE SEALING SURFACE OF THE GASKET. A NEW ANSI #900 GASKET AND NEW BOLTS WERE INSTALLED AND THE FLANGE WAS PROPERLY TIGHTENED. A VISUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON THE NEW GASKET ASSEMBLY ONCE LINE PRESSURE HAD STABILIZED TO ENSURE THE FLANGE WAS NOT LEAKING.