NUSTAR PIPELINE OPERATING PARTNERSHIP L.P.
hazardous_liquid Incident — — May 16, 2019
Incident Information
| Incident Date | May 16, 2019 |
| Operator | NUSTAR PIPELINE OPERATING PARTNERSHIP L.P. |
| Commodity | HVL OR OTHER FLAMMABLE OR TOXIC FLUID WHICH IS A GAS AT AMBI |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 29.94022, -90.48160 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $731,337 |
| Emergency Response | $10,000 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
A SMALL AMOUNT OF DISTRESSED VEGETATION WAS FOUND IN THE VICINITY OF OUR TAFT PLATFORM 6"" FORTIER TO DONALDSONVILLE LATERAL. THIS WAS FOUND BY OUR NUSTAR CORROSION SPECIALIST WORKING ON A CIS ON 3/25/19. THE DISTRESSED VEGETATION WAS IN THE VICINITY OF A STOPPLE TEE. THE AREA WAS MONITORED (AIR & WATER) AND NO INDICATION OF NH3. THE AREA WAS MONITORED PERIODICALLY THEREAFTER WITH NO NH3 PRESENT. PLANS WERE MADE TO COMPLETE A SINGLE STOPPLE AND CUT OUT THE STOPPLE TEE, TOR, AND A SMALL LENGTH OF PIPE WHICH HAD A CORROSION ANOMALY CALLED OUT ON A SMART TOOL RUN. THIS WORK WAS COMPLETED, NEW PIECE OF PIPE INSTALLED, AND THE PIPELINE WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE 5/18-20/19 THE REASON FOR THIS REPORT WAS NOT THE VOLUME RELEASED, BUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT EXCEEDED $50,000 TO ACCESS THE PIPELINE IN THE MARSH. METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS: THE FOLLOWING APPROACH WAS TAKEN TO DETERMINE A POTENTIAL MECHANISM OF FAILURE FOR THE STOPPLE: 1. VISUAL EXAMINATION 2. NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT) 3. WATER LEAK CHECK 4. PRESSURE TESTING TO 1100 PSI 5. SECTIONING TO REMOVE SUSPECT AREAS 6. METALLOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION OF STOPPLE WELD AND THROUGH PIPE WELD. CONCLUSIONS: NO FAILURE MECHANISM OR LEAK WAS FOUND. THE LONGITUDINAL WELDS OF THE STOPPLE EXHIBITED FULL PENETRATION WITH NO CRACKING. IN ADDITION, NO CRACKS WERE FOUND IN THE LONG SEAM OF THE PIPE.
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.