CENTURION PIPELINE L.P.

Incident Narrative

ON FEBRUARY 10, 2020, AT 7:00AM, A CENTURION PIPELINE L.P. (CPL) EMPLOYEE DISCOVERED A LEAK FROM STATION PIPING WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF CPL'S ECTOR COUNTY STATION. APPROXIMATELY THREE (3) BARRELS OF OIL WERE RELEASED, ALL OF WHICH WERE RECOVERED EITHER IN LIQUID FORM OR FROM SOIL REMEDIATION. ALL REMEDIATION IS COMPLETE AND ALL PRODUCT IS REMOVED FROM THE ENVIRONMENT. SUBSEQUENT TO A VISUAL INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT INTERNAL CORROSION WAS THE CAUSE OF THE LEAK. CPL HAS REMOVED THE AFFECTED PIPE AND INSTALLED A TEMPORARY PIPELINE WHICH WILL ITSELF BE REMOVED WHEN A STATION RE-CONFIGURATION TAKES PLACE WITHIN THREE MONTHS. AN INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING TO DETERMINE IF MICROBIOLOGICALLY-INDUCED CORROSION (MIC) MAY ALSO BE A CONTRIBUTING CAUSE. IF SO, A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT WILL BE FILED AND THE INVESTIGATION FINDINGS WILL BE USED TO PREVENT FUTURE SIMILAR INCIDENTS FROM OCCURRING. SUPPLEMENTAL FINAL REPORT FILED ON APRIL 16, 2020: SINCE THE ORIGINAL REPORT WAS FILED ON MARCH 09, 2020, CPL HAS CONDUCTED A ROOT CAUSE FAILURE ANALYSIS AND CONFIRMED THE LEAK WAS CAUSED BY INTERNAL CORROSION. THIS INTERNAL CORROSION WAS CONSISTENT WITH MICROBIOLOGICALLY INFLUENCED CORROSION (MIC). THE FAILED PIPELINE HAD, DUE TO CHANGES IN FLOW CONDITIONS DICTATED BY MARKET FORCES, EXPERIENCED A PERIOD OF FLOW STAGNATION WHICH PERMITTED WATER TO SEPARATE FROM THE CRUDE OIL PRODUCT. THIS SEPARATION RESULTED IN FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR MIC TO FORM. AN UNRELATED EXPANSION PROJECT, TO BE CONSTRUCTED SOON, WILL RECONFIGURE THE STATION PIPING. THE NEW CONFIGURATION WILL PREVENT SIMILAR FAILURES FROM OCCURRING BY ELIMINATING PIPELINE PHYSICAL FEATURES CONDUCIVE TO MIC FORMATION.