ROADRUNNER PIPELINE, L.L.C.

Incident Narrative

ON MARCH 25, 2020, AT 06:38 MT, HOLLY ENERGY PARTNERS (HEP) DISPATCHED A TECHNICIAN TO THE LAC 16"" SHIPPING IN LOVINGTON, NM TO INVESTIGATE METER FLOW ON A PIPELINE THAT WAS SHUT DOWN. THE HEP TECHNICIAN ARRIVED ON-SITE AT 06:50 MT TO DISCOVER CRUDE OIL ON THE GROUND AT THE TERMINAL. THE TECHNICIAN CONTACTED THE HEP CONTROL CENTER AND ADVISED THEM TO SHUT DOWN THE 10"" EMPIRE PIPELINE IMMEDIATELY. THE PIPELINE WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN, AND ADDITIONAL OPERATOR RESOURCES WERE DISPATCHED TO THE LOCATION TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE TEAM DISCOVERED THE LEAK WAS ORIGINATING FROM THE 6 O"" CLOCK POSITION ON PROVER BYPASS VALVE #1017. THE PROVER AND ALL ASSOCIATED PIPING WERE BLOCKED IN BY THE TECHNICIAN ON-SITE AFTER THE LINE WAS SHUT DOWN. DURING THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION PROCESS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GENERAL TWIN SEAL BODY CAVITY BLEED VALVE WAS FOUND TO BE BLOCKED IN WHICH RESULTED IN THERMAL OVERPRESSURE OF THE BODY CAVITY AND A SUBSEQUENT LEAK FROM THE BOTTOM FLANGE OF THE VALVE. SEVERAL BOLTS HAD SHEARED OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE FLANGE. WE DISCOVERED THAT NO O-RING OR GASKET WAS INSTALLED ON THE BOTTOM, AND THE BOLTS WERE OVER-TORQUED, WHICH CAUSED THE INITIAL STRETCH AND WEAKENING OF THE BOLTS. THE ONLY POINT OF OVER PRESSURE WAS THE INTERNAL BODY OF THE VALVE - NO FACILITY PIPING WAS OVER PRESSURED.