BELLE FOURCHE PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON DECEMBER 1, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:10 A.M., AN OPERATIONS EMPLOYEE WAS CONDUCTING THE MORNING STATION CHECK AT THE OSAGE REFINERY STATION AND DISCOVERED A PUMP SEAL FAILURE ON STAGE PUMP #2 WHICH HAD RELEASED OIL INTO THE STAGE PUMP CONCRETE CONTAINMENT AREA. STAGE PUMP #2 WAS NOT IN OPERATION AT THE TIME OF SEAL FAILURE SO THE PUMP DISCHARGE VALVE WAS ALREADY CLOSED; HOWEVER, THE EMPLOYEE IMMEDIATELY CLOSED THE PUMP SUCTION VALVE WHICH ISOLATED THE PUMP AND STOPPED THE RELEASE. THE EMPLOYEE THEN CALLED THEIR SUPERVISOR AND REPORTED THE RELEASE. THE SUPERVISOR THEN DISPATCHED ANOTHER OPERATIONS EMPLOYEE TO ASSIST WITH THE RELEASE AND A VAC TRUCK OPERATOR WAS CONTACTED TO RECOVER THE FREE PRODUCT FROM THE PUMP CONCRETE CONTAINMENT AREA. APPROXIMATELY 10 BARRELS OF FREE PRODUCT WERE RECOVERED AND RE-INJECTED BACK INTO THE SYSTEM. THE FAILED PUMP MECHANICAL SEAL WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO A VENDOR TO BE EXAMINED AND REBUILT. THE VENDOR'S PRELIMINARY VERBAL REPORT INDICATED A MANUFACTURING DEFECT LED TO THE SEAL FAILURE. A NEW MECHANICAL SEAL WAS INSTALLED IN THE PUMP SO IT COULD BE PLACED INTO SERVICE WHEN NEEDED. THE RELEASE WAS COMPLETELY CONTAINED ON COMPANY OWNED PROPERTY AND DID NOT LEAVE THE SITE. NO SURFACE WATER, GROUND WATER OR WILDLIFE WERE IMPACTED BY THE RELEASE; HOWEVER, A SMALL AMOUNT OF CRUDE OIL DID BREACH THE TOP OF THE PUMP CONCRETE CONTAINMENT AREA, WHICH RESULTED AN APPROXIMATELY 10 X 6 FOOT AREA OF SOIL CONTAMINATED TO A DEPTH OF APPROXIMATELY 1 INCH. ALL CONTAMINATED SOILS WERE REMOVED AND WILL BE PROPERLY DISPOSED OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH WYOMING DEQ REQUIREMENTS. WHILE ITEMS E6A AND E6B INDICATE A SCADA BASED SYSTEM WAS IN PLACE ON THE FACILITY INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT, CONTROL IS LIMITED TO ENABLING/DISABLING THE PUMP, WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE PROVIDED AN INDICATION OF THE SEAL FAILURE TO THE CONTROL CENTER. ADDITIONALLY, AS NOTED ABOVE, THE LINE WAS DOWN AND THE PUMP WAS NOT IN SERVICE AT THE TIME OF THE PUMP SEAL FAILURE. SINCE THE INCIDENT DID NOT MEET NRC NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, NO NRC NOTIFICATION WAS MADE. HOWEVER, THE RELEASE WAS REPORTED TO THE WYOMING DEQ AND A SPILL REPORT WAS ELECTRONICALLY SUBMITTED TO THE WQD SPILL WEBSITE (INCIDENT #4385).