HOLLY ENERGY PARTNERS - OPERATING, L.P.

Incident Narrative

OPERATOR PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON-SITE THE MORNING OF JANUARY 16, 2020, TO READ UP THE STATION. SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING ON-SITE, THE INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERED WHAT APPEARED TO BE CRUDE OIL ON THE GROUND AROUND THE PUMPS. AT THIS POINT, THE INDIVIDUAL CONTACTED THE HEP CONTROL CENTER TO NOTIFY THEM OF THEIR FINDINGS, AND THE INDIVIDUAL ON-SITE BEGAN TO ISOLATE THE AREA BY THE CLOSURE OF ALL VALVES ALONG WITH THE PIPELINE SYSTEM AND LOCKED OUT AND TAGGED OUT ALL PUMPS AND VALVES ON LOCATION AS WELL. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CALL TO THE HEP CONTROL CENTER, THE EMPLOYEE CONTACTED HIS SUPERVISOR TO INFORM HIM OF THE RELEASE. AT THAT POINT IN TIME, OPERATOR RESOURCES WERE IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED TO THE STATION TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. ONCE ADDITIONAL OPERATOR RESOURCES ARRIVED ON-SITE, THEY WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE A SPILL CALCULATION TOOL TO DETERMINE THAT THE RELEASE MET THE REPORTING THRESHOLD. AT THAT POINT, THE RELEASE WAS REPORTED TO THE NRC AND THE TRRC. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A BILATERAL FATIGUE CRACKING ON THE TEE FITTING. IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE VIBRATION ON THE DISCHARGE SIDE OF THE POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE FATIGUE CRACKING. WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR RESULTS FROM THE METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FITTING TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE BETTER. UPDATE: FATIGUE CRACKING WAS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED BY THE TEE FITTING. THE PRIMARY REGION OF CRACKING INITIATED FROM PITS, OF THE NARROW AND DEEP CONFIGURATION, ALONG THE ID SURFACES. IT APPEARS THAT THE PRIMARY CRACKING WAS A PRODUCT OF CRACK COALESCENCE WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT DEVIATIONS. THE CRACK PATH WAS COINCIDENTAL WITH THE FLOW CHARACTERISTICS DERIVED FROM FORMING THE BRANCH CONNECTION OF THE TEE DURING MANUFACTURING.