SUNOCO PARTNERS MARKETING & TERMINALS LP

Incident Narrative

ON 09/02/21 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:30AM A CREW AS WORKING TO REMOVE A BLIND FLANGE ON THE 1542 TANK LINE WHEN A RELEASE OF APPROXIMATELY 66 BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL OCCURRED. THE BLIND FLANGE HAD BEEN INSTALLED TO ISOLATE THE LINE FOR PRESSURE TESTING. THE CREW HAD ISOLATED AND DRAINED THE TESTED PORTION OF THE LINE FROM THE TEXOMA MANIFOLD. ONCE THE CREW WAS UNABLE TO PULL ANY MORE LIQUID, THEY BEGAN REMOVING THE BLIND. ONCE THE BLIND WAS REMOVED AND PLACED AWAY FROM THE LINE, A SLUG OF THICK, ROCKY, TAR MATERIAL RAN OUT OF THE LINE AND ALLOWED CRUDE OIL AND WATER TO BE RELEASED ONTO THE GROUND. THE CONTRACTOR WAS ABLE TO BOLT THE FLANGE BACK UP TO THE TANK LINE TO STOP THE LEAK. A VAC TRUCK WAS CALLED IN TO REMOVE ALL FREE PRODUCT AND THE CONTAMINATED SOIL WAS REMOVED FOR REMEDIATION. SUPPLEMENTAL: CAUSE UPDATED TO INCORRECT OPERATIONS - OPERATIONS DRAINED THE LINE, FILLED WITH WATER, CALCULATED OIL/WATER RATIO, HYDRO TESTED, AND DE-PRESSURED THE LINE. WHEN BLIND FLANGE WAS REMOVED THE RELEASE OCCURRED. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE SLUG OF MATERIAL INSIDE THE PIPE HELD PRODUCT BACK UNTIL GIVING WAY WHEN BLIND FLANGE WAS REMOVED. THE CREW COULD NOT HAVE ANTICIPATED THE SLUG OF MATERIAL INSIDE THE PIPE. THE PIPING BEING TESTED WAS FACILITY (NON-MAINLINE) PIPE AND WAS UNABLE TO BE CLEANED WITH PIGS PRIOR TO PRESSURE TEST WHICH COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SLUG OF MATERIAL BEING PRESENT IN THE PIPE.