CENTURION PIPELINE L.P.

Incident Narrative

ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 13:40, A CENTURION PIPELINE L.P. (CPL) EMPLOYEE DISCOVERED A LEAK ON THE MIXER OF TANK #1591 AT CPL'S ECTOR STATION NEAR ECTOR, TEXAS IN ECTOR COUNTY, TEXAS. THE COMPANY EMPLOYEE DETERMINED THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK TO BE THE MIXER SEAL AND PROMPTLY SHUT DOWN THE MIXER TO ISOLATE THE LEAK AND REPLACE THE SEAL. HOWEVER, FIVE (5) BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL WERE RELEASED INTO THE TANK BERM. CPL RECOVERED TWO (2) BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL IN LIQUID FORM AND REMEDIATED THE CONTAMINATED SOIL ON SITE. NO INJURIES, FATALITIES, OR FIRES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INCIDENT. CPL REPORTED THE LEAK TO THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION, OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY AT 14:26 CST ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2020, AND WAS ISSUED INCIDENT NUMBER 2276 IN REFERENCE TO THE INCIDENT. CPL DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF FAILURE TO BE A PREMATURE WEAR OF THE SEAL DUE TO THE SEAL MATERIAL BEING DIFFERENT THAN THE RECOMMENDED MATERIAL FOR SOUR CRUDE OIL SERVICE. CURRENTLY, CPL ORDERS MIXERS WITH A STANDARD MANGANESE, BRONZE, AND TUNGSTEN (TUNGSTEN/BRONZE) SEAL FOR USE IN ALL CRUDE OIL APPLICATIONS. DURING THE ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS, BOTH THE MIXER VENDOR AND CPL MECHANICAL CONSULTANT RECOMMENDED USING TUNGSTEN CARBIDE AND SILICON CARBIDE [TUNGSTEN (TC)/NIRESIST] SEALS WHEN THE MIXER IS IN SOUR CRUDE SERVICE. ON A GOING FORWARD BASIS, CPL WILL REQUIRE MIXER SEALS TO BE TUNGSTEN (TC)/NIRESIST, WHICH IS A MORE DURABLE MATERIAL, REGARDLESS OF SWEET OR SOUR CRUDE OIL SERVICE. CPL BELIEVES THE CHANGE IN SEAL REQUIREMENTS WILL RESULT IN THE LONGEST SEAL LIFE AND REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF A PREMATURE SEAL FAILURE.