ENERGY TRANSFER COMPANY

Incident Narrative

ON JANUARY 3, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 20:30HRS, PUMP # 5 AT THE ENERGY TRANSFER MT. BELVIEU NORTH TERMINAL PUMP MANIFOLD SEIZED DUE TO MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE FAILURE RESULTED IN THE RELEASE OF PROPANE TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND A SUBSEQUENT FIRE. THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL AND MONITORS WERE LEFT ON SPRAY THE PUMP ALL NIGHT WHILE IT WAS BURNING THE LOW-PRESSURE RESIDUAL PRODUCT DOWN. APPROXIMATELY TWO BARRELS OF PROPANE BURNED FROM JANUARY 3, 2020 AT 20:30 TO JANUARY 4, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 05:16HRS. AT 05:16HRS THE SEAL RUPTURED ON PUMP 6 ADJACENT TO PUMP 5. THE VAPORS COVERED THE PUMP MANIFOLD BUILDING AND IGNITED, RELEASING APPROXIMATELY TWO BARRELS OF PROPANE. APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LATER BOTH PUMP 2 AND PUMP 3 STARTED VENTING TO ATMOSPHERE BUT DID NOT IGNITE DUE TO WATER BEING SPRAYED IN THE AREA. BOTH PUMP 2 AND PUMP 3 VENTED APPROXIMATELY TWO BARRELS EACH, BRINGING TOTAL BARRELS OF PROPANE VENTED TO EIGHT BARRELS. ALL FIRES WERE OUT AT APPROXIMATELY 09:40HRS. THE PUMP WAS FLOWING TO THE STORAGE WELL AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT FROM THE FACILITY MANIFOLD INSIDE THE STATION. THIS MANIFOLD AND ASSOCIATED PUMPS CAN BE CONFIGURED TO DIRECT PRODUCT FLOW INTO SEVERAL DIFFERENT REGULATED AND NON-REGULATED LINES. AT 12:30HRS ON 01/04/2020, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS MANIFOLD COULD POSSIBLY FEED PIPELINE P-67 AND THE DETERMINATION WAS MADE TO MAKE THE NOTIFICATIONS TO THE TX RRC & NRC, EVEN THOUGH THE P-67 PIPELINE ITSELF WAS NOT DAMAGED. OPERATIONS CALLED THE LINE BACK IN SERVICE AS OF 13:00HRS ON JANUARY 4, 2020. THE INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT A BOLT BROKE OFF OF A SHIM PACK CAUSING THE FAILURE. THIS LINE IS UNDER THE JURISDICTION ON THE TX RRC, SYSTEM # 961589 NOTIFICATIONS OF THIS INCIDENT WERE MADE TO THE NRC, REPORT # 1267942 AT 13:16HRS ON 01/04/20 AND THE TX RRC, REPORT # 2115 AT 13:40HRS ON THE SAME DAY ON JAN 6, 2020 AT 12:17 LOCAL INCIDENT TIME A 48 HOUR UPDATE WAS MADE (#1268058).