NUSTAR PIPELINE OPERATING PARTNERSHIP L.P.
hazardous_liquid Incident — — August 6, 2021
Incident Information
| Incident Date | August 6, 2021 |
| Operator | NUSTAR PIPELINE OPERATING PARTNERSHIP L.P. |
| Commodity | HVL OR OTHER FLAMMABLE OR TOXIC FLUID WHICH IS A GAS AT AMBI |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 30.02516, -91.10552 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $64,779 |
| Emergency Response | $71,843 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
3RD PARTY PASSERBY SMELLED AMMONIA ODORS AND CALLED AUTHORITIES WHO IN TURN NOTIFIED NUSTAR. LOCAL EMPLOYEES WENT TO SITE TO VERIFY SITE CONDITIONS. THE LEAK APPEARED IN THE AREA OF 2 STOPPLE TEES AND NOTICED A SLIGHT VAPOR CLOUD IN THE AREA. LINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND BLOCKED IN. LEPC AND LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE ON-SITE. AGENCY NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE. 100 POUNDS IS THE RQ AND THAT WAS WHAT WAS REPORTED AT THAT TIME. THE STOPPLE TEE HAS BEEN REMOVED AND A METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS WILL BE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE WHY FAILURE HAD OCCURRED. *UPDATE* - THE LEAK/RELEASE OCCURRED AT THE WELD SEAM OF THE STOPPLE. CRACKS HAD INITIATED FROM BOTH THE WELD ROOT AT A LACK OF PENETRATION OF THE WELD SEAM AT THE INNER DIAMETER AND AT THE OUTER DIAMETER SURFACE AT THE WELD BOND LINE. THESE CRACKS FORMED THE LEAK PATH FROM THE ID TO THE OD. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD OR EXTENSIVE GENERAL WALL THINNING CORROSION.
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.