NUSTAR LOGISTICS, L.P.
hazardous_liquid Incident — — October 18, 2019
Incident Information
| Incident Date | October 18, 2019 |
| Operator | NUSTAR LOGISTICS, L.P. |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 33.91298, -98.43419 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | OTHER EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $1,050 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE FACILITY INSPECTION, NUSTAR DISCOVERED A CRUDE OIL LEAK AT ITS WICHITA FALLS TERMINAL. THE LEAK ORIGINATED AT A MECHANICAL SEAL ON THE MIXER ATTACHED TO TANK 120M-1. APPROXIMATELY 30 GALLONS WERE CONTAINED WITHIN A CATCH PAN BELOW THE MIXER, AND APPROXIMATELY 24 GALLONS REACHED THE SOIL INSIDE THE SECONDARY CONTAINMENT AREA. THE MIXER WAS REPLACED, AND THE FAILED SEAL WAS SENT TO A THIRD PARTY FOR ANALYSIS. UPDATE - THE SEAL LEAKED WHEN THE ROTATING FACE BROKE, CAUSED BY OVER TORQUEING OF THE SEAL. THE CAUSE OF THE SEAL OVER-TORQUEING WAS INVESTIGATED AND REMAINS UNKNOWN. IT IS POSSIBLE A MISALIGNMENT OF THE MIXER SHAFT OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE INSTALLATION OF THE MIXER, OR DURING THE SUBSEQUENT OPERATION OF THE MIXER, AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE SEAL FAILURE.
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.