EXPRESS HOLDINGS (USA), LLC
hazardous_liquid Incident — — February 9, 2021
Incident Information
| Incident Date | February 9, 2021 |
| Operator | EXPRESS HOLDINGS (USA), LLC |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 42.22516, -104.69177 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | OTHER EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $4,856 |
| Emergency Response | $1,695 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON FEBRUARY 9, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15 MST A LOCAL TECHNICIAN PERFORMING DAILY ROUNDS OF THE GUERNSEY TERMINAL DISCOVERED A RELEASE FROM THE TANK MIXER ON TANK 503. THE TANK MIXER WAS LOCKED OUT TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER RELEASE AND OPERATIONS PERSONNEL BEGIN CLEANUP AND REMEDIATION. THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK TO BE A FAILED MIXER SEAL. THE MIXER SEAL WAS NOT ACTIVELY LEAKING AT THE TIME OF DISCOVERY LIKELY DUE TO LIQUID LEVEL IN THE TANK BEING VERY LOW. THE TEMPERATURE UPON DISCOVERY WAS APPROXIMATELY 0 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND IS BELIEVED TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE RELEASE. THE TANK MIXERS AUTOMATICALLY SHUT-OFF WHEN TANK LEVELS REACH APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET AND TURN BACK ON WHEN THE LEVEL REACHES 10.5 FEET. IT IS BELIEVED THAT WHEN THE MIXERS SHUT OFF AND ARE IDLE FOR SOME TIME DURING COLD WEATHER, THAT THE SEAL FACES STICK, THEN WHEN THE LEVEL RISES SUFFICIENTLY TO TURN THE MIXERS BACK ON, THE STICTION OF THE SEAL FACE AND ROTATIONAL ENERGY CAUSES A SEAL FAILURE. THE MIXER WILL REMAIN LOCKED OUT UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THE MIXER SEAL CAN BE REPLACED WITH A NEW DESIGN. THE RELEASED PRODUCT AND CONTAMINATED SOIL WERE CLEANED UP AND PLACED INTO DRUMS FOR DISPOSAL AT A LATER DATE.
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.