ENLINK PERMIAN, LLC

Incident Narrative

DURING THE RECENT CONSTRUCTION OF THE FALCON CRUDE TERMINAL AND ASSOCIATED PIPELINES, A TD WILLIAMSON MANUFACTURED DEVICE, FORMALLY TITLED AS A SCRAPER PASSAGE INDICATOR OR PIG-SIG, WAS INSTALLED ON THE 10"" PIPELINE DISCHARGE PIPING DOWNSTREAM OF THE SCRAPER TRAP VALVE SETTING. AFTER THE LINE FILL OPERATION WAS COMPLETE AND THE PIPELINE OPERATIONAL, IT WAS NOTICED APPROXIMATELY EIGHT DAYS LATER THAT THE PIG-SIG WAS SLIGHTLY LEAKING AROUND THE THREADS. CONSTRUCTION, CONTRACT INSPECTION, AND OPERATIONS PERSONNEL MET ON SITE ON NOVEMBER 2, 2019 TO REPAIR THE LEAKING DEVICE. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE CUSTOMERS GATHERING FIELD AND THE ASSOCIATED GATHERING LINE THAT CONNECTS TO THE FACILITY INLET PIPELINE, THE CREW BEGAN REPAIR ACTIVITIES. WITH A DRIP PAN PLACED UNDERNEATH THE DEVICE, WORKERS SLOWLY STARTED TO LOOSEN AND UNSCREW THE THREADED PIG-SIG. AFTER APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES THE THREADS CONTINUED TO LEAK. THEREFORE, PERSONNEL DECIDED TO TIGHTEN THE DEVICE, RESULTING IN THE DEVICE DETACHING COMPLETELY FROM THE PIPELINE AND CONSEQUENTLY RELEASING CRUDE OIL FROM THE PIG-SIG CONNECTION POINT. OPERATIONS PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY BEGAN EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACTIVITIES BY NOTIFYING APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL, REMOTELY ISOLATING THE REMAINING ASSETS THROUGH PIPELINE CONTROL, DEPLOYING EQUIPMENT, AND AN ESTABLISHING AN INCIDENT COMMAND STRUCTURE. CRUDE OIL CONTINUED TO RELEASE FROM THE PIPELINE FOR TWO HOURS AND 13 MINUTES UNTIL A VALVE WAS SAFELY INSTALLED AND CLOSED AT 1:15PM CST, TERMINATING THE RELEASE. CLEANUP OPERATIONS BEGAN AND THE PIPELINE WAS PUT BACK INTO FULL SERVICE AT 10:30 PM CST. CALCULATIONS DETERMINED THE AMOUNT OF CRUDE OIL SPILLED WAS APPROXIMATELY 1501* BARRELS. *THE INITIAL 1 HOUR NOTIFICATION IT WAS REPORTED THAT AN ESTIMATED 200 BARRELS WAS ON THE GROUND. THIS INFORMATION CAME FROM AN OBSERVATION OF PERSONAL IN THE FIELD. THE SANDY SOIL AT THE SITE ABSORBED MOST OF THE PRODUCT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MAKE A MORE ACCURATE ESTIMATE ON HOW MUCH WAS LEAKED.* ROOT CAUSE INCORRECT INSTALLATION OF THE TD WILLIAMSON SCRAPER PASSAGE INDICATOR - THE INVESTIGATION TEAM CONCLUDED THAT THE ORIGINAL INSTALLATION OF THE PIG-SIG WAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED DURING CONSTRUCTION, AS IT WAS EVIDENT AFTER CLOSE INSPECTION THAT THE STAINLESS STEEL THREADS WERE STRIPPED AND GALLED AFTER CLOSE INSPECTION. THE DEVICE LEAKED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD AFTER CRUDE OIL WAS INTRODUCED TO THE PIPELINE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1: THE PIG-SIG WAS INSTALLED OUTSIDE OF THE SCRAPER TRAP DISCHARGE LAUNCHER, ON THE PIPELINE, ESSENTIALLY MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ISOLATE THE CRUDE STREAM AND THE FULL SEGMENT OF PIPELINE CONTAINING THE CRUDE OIL WAS RELEASING THOUGH THE OPENING. 2: WORKERS DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE EFFECT OF THE PIPELINE, ELEVATION AND VALVE ARRANGEMENTS. 3: A 16-DAY GAP EXISTED FROM THE INITIAL TIME THE LEAKING PIG-SIG WAS NOTICED UNTIL AN ACTUAL TIME OF REPAIR.