EPIC CONSOLIDATED OPERATIONS, LLC

Incident Narrative

UPDATE: ON MAY 8, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:06 PM, AN EPIC OPERATOR AND ONE CONTRACTOR WERE ON VALVE SITE 72 COMMISSIONING THE NEW 30' UNDERGROUND MAINLINE BLOCK VALVE IN SCADA AND CONTROL ROOM. WHILE PERFORMING THE VALVE CHECKS TO ENSURE IT WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL THE VALVE WAS STROKED REMOTELY BY THE CONTROL ROOM OPERATOR. WHEN THE VALVE WAS GIVEN THE CLOSE COMMAND IT BEGAN TO CLOSE, AFTER IT TRAVELED 6-8 INCHES THE PERSONNEL ON SITE WITNESSED OIL SPRAYING THE GROUND AT THE VALVE LOCATION. THE MEN MANUALLY STOPPED THE VALVE FROM CONTINUING TO CLOSE AND THE CONTROLLER RESET THE CLOSE COMMAND AND GAVE THE OPEN COMMAND. ONCE THE VALVE WAS FULLY OPEN THE RELEASE STOPPED. PIPELINE PRESSURE AT THE TIME OF RELEASE WAS 220 PSIG. THE PIPELINE SYSTEM WAS SHUT-IN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE PIPELINE SEGMENT WAS ISOLATED USING MAINLINE BLOCK VALVES 71 AND 73, AFTER ISOLATION THE PIPELINE PRESSURE WAS 199 PSIG. THE PIPELINE SYSTEM NEVER EXCEEDED THE MOP. THE SITE WAS MADE SAFE AND THE PERSONNEL CONTACTED OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR AND EPIC OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE RELEASE. PERSONNEL WAS SENT TO THE SITE AND EPIC'S POST-ACCIDENT PROCEDURE WAS USED TO DETERMINE THE ESTIMATED RELEASE VOLUME AND DAMAGES. DURING THIS TIME RELEASE VOLUME CALCULATIONS WERE BEING PERFORMED PER THE O&M PROCEDURE AND CONFIRMED BY EPIC OPERATIONS. THE DISCOVERY TIME WAS 3:32 PM AND WAS BASED ON THE ESTIMATED RELEASE VOLUME OF 29 BBL. EPIC DISPATCHED AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSON TO THE SITE TO ASSIST OPERATIONS WITH THE CLEANUP OF THE SITE. AFTER ENVIRONMENTAL MADE ITS INITIAL ASSESSMENT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGES MAY MEET OR EXCEED $50,000, THIS WAS CONFIRMED AT 6:03 PM AND AN NRC REPORT WAS MADE WITHIN ONE HOUR OF CONFIRMED DISCOVERY. ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION STARTED ON MAY 8, 2020 AND CONTINUED THROUGH MAY 12,2020. DURING THE INSPECTION OF THE VALVE AFTER THE RELEASE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A 1.5-INCH THREADED PORT ON THE TOP OF THE VALVE BODY THAT WAS MISSING A THREADED PLUG. THE VALVE WAS CAPABLE OF HOLDING FULL PRESSURE WHILE IN THE OPEN POSITION AND BUT WHILE CLOSING THE THREADED PORT RELEASED PRESSURE FROM THE PIPELINE SYSTEM. AFTER REVIEWING RECORDS AND RECEIVING INFORMATION REQUESTED FROM THE CONTRACTOR AND VALVE SUPPLY COMPANY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CONTRACTOR REMOVED THE PLUG FROM THE VALVE BODY AT SOME POINT DURING THE INSTALLATION OF THE VALVE. THIS WAS DETERMINED BY THE PHOTO EVIDENCE PROVIDE BY THE VALVE SUPPLIER THAT SHOWS THE PLUG INSTALLED AT THE TIME OF DELIVERY. EPIC DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED A MAINLINE BLOCK VALVE PRE-COMMISSIONING PROCESS TO INCLUDE A MAINLINE VALVE PRE-COMMISSIONING CHECKLIST, VALVE POSITIONING GUIDANCE, ADDITIONAL FLANGE TORQUE DOCUMENTATION, AND THREADED CONNECTION TIGHTENING DOCUMENTATION.