BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP

Incident Narrative

WHILE THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING, THE LEAK IS BELIEVED TO HAVE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 5:26 AM ET ON MARCH 16,2021, FOLLOWING THE RESTART OF THE L602 PIPELINE AFTER COMPLETION OF A DELIVERY INTO LONG ISLAND CITY. THE PIPELINE CONTROLLER ON DUTY OBSERVED A POTENTIAL PRESSURE ISSUE INITIALLY BELIEVED TO THE RESULT OF A CONTROL VALVE MALFUNCTION THE TECHNICIANS WERE NOTIFIED. AT APPROXIMATELY 07:11 AM ET LOCAL OPERATORS WERE RESPONDING TO THE CALL, AND AT 08:15 AM ET, THE LOCAL OPERATOR IN LINDEN NJ CONFIRMED DISCOVERY OF A RELEASE OF GASOLINE. ALL INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE. AT THE TIME OF EXCAVATION OF THE PIPE, GENERALIZED CORROSION WAS OBSERVED AT THE 3 O'CLOCK POSITION ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE PIPE, BUT METALLURGICAL TESTING AND ANALYSIS IS UNDERWAY AND NOT YET COMPLETE. OSRO WAS ON SITE AND CLEANUP ACTIVITIES CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, FIRE, EXPLOSIONS, OR EVACUATIONS. INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING. ADDED BY SUPPLEMENTAL TO FINAL REPORT 11/17/2023 - THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY EXTERNAL CORROSION THAT OCCURRED ALONG THE 3:00 ORIENTATION OF THE PIPE. COATING FAILURE, LOCALLY INADEQUATE LEVELS OF CP, ALTERNATING WET/DRY CONDITIONS, AND CORROSIVE SOILS LIKELY WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE EXTERNAL CORROSION. THE 2019 ILI TOOL DID NOT ACCURATELY SIZE AND CLUSTER THE ANOMALIES AT THE LOCATION OF THE FAILURE. THE ILI VENDOR INDICATED THAT THERE WERE VARIATIONS IN THE ILI DATA THROUGHOUT THE FAILURE JOINT THAT PRESENTED TO THEM AS BACKGROUND VARIATION ASSOCIATED WITH SEAMLESS PIPE RATHER THAN AS METAL LOSS ANOMALIES, WHICH LED THEM TO NOT INCLUDE THIS VARIATION IN ANOMALY BOXING AND CLUSTERING AT THIS LOCATION. THE VENDOR FURTHER NOTED THAT THIS PIPE JOINT EXHIBITED A LARGE AREA OF GENERAL PIPE WALL THINNING THAT COULD NOT BE DISTINGUISHED BY THE MFL TOOL; THIS LED TO THEM SIZING THE ANOMALIES RELATIVE TO NORMAL WALL THICKNESS WHICH UNDERSTATED THE TRUE DEPTH OF THE ANOMALIES. 9/27/2023 - ALL REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THE CORRECTIVE ACTION ORDER GIVEN BY PHMSA ARE COMPLETED. BUCKEYE HAS RECEIVED NOTICE OF CLOSURE OF THE CORRECTIVE ACTION ORDER DATED JULY 13, 2023 AND APPROVAL TO RETURN THE LINE TO NORMAL OPERATION SIGNED BY PHMSA DIRECTOR OF THE EASTERN REGION. NO FURTHER REMEDIATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INCIDENT IS REQUIRED. THE 7000-1 REPORT HAS BEEN REVISED TO ACCURATELY INDICATE THE CAUSE.