WHITING PETROLEUM CORP

Incident Narrative

DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION OF PIPELINE FACILITIES ON MARCH 13, 2019, PIPELINE OPERATIONS FOUND A LEAKING GASKET AT THE PAWNEE CRUDE OIL TERMINAL INTERCONNECT. AT 6:30AM, THE CONTROL ROOM WAS INFORMED ON THE LEAKING EQUIPMENT AND SHUTDOWN AT 6:34AM. THE LEAK WAS FROM A GASKET IN AN ISOLATION POINT ON THE LIVE SIDE OF A 3"" LINE USED TO TRANSFER PRODUCT BACK INTO THE PROCESS FROM THE BREAKOUT TANKS. THE LEAK WAS ISOLATED AND PREPARATIONS FOR REPAIRS BEGAN AT 7:05AM WITH A CALL FOR THE PARTS AND REQUEST FOR MORE PERSONNEL. THE FLUID WAS PULLED DOWN ON THE ISOLATED SEGMENT AND THE GASKET AND VALVE WERE REPLACED WITH NEW. CONTROL CENTER WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE REPAIRS WERE MADE AND THAT THEY COULD RETURN TO SERVICE. AT 9:35AM THE PIPELINE WAS BACK ON LINE AND REPAIRS WERE CONFIRMED. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THERE WAS HEAVY RAIN AND SLEET WITH HIGH WINDS. OIL ABSORBING PADS WERE PLACED AROUND THE EDGES OF THE WATER PUDDLES IN ORDER TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THE SHEEN. DUE TO THE ACCUMULATED RAIN WATER, THE SHEEN SPREAD OUT TO COVER AN AREA APPROX. 25' LONG BY 2' TO 3' WIDE BEING ROUGHLY 1/4"" DEEP. THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY GROUP ESTIMATED VOLUME WAS 0.41 BARRELS OR 17.2 GALLONS. THE PIPELINE COMPLIANCE GROUP WAS NOTIFIED AND THE VOLUME WAS VERIFIED. THE WEATHER ALSO DELAYED THE CLEAN UP RESPONSE, CONTRACT PERSONNEL WERE ON SITE AND THE CLEAN UP WAS UNDERWAY AT 8:15AM. ROOT CAUSE: AFTER SEEING OIL LEAKING FROM THE GASKET WE DISASSEMBLED THE VALVE SETTING AND THE CORK GASKET WAS FOUND TO BE PINCHED ALMOST IN TWO AT THE POINT OF THE LEAK. FOR A GASKET TO BE PINCHED IN ONE LOCATION LIKE THIS ONE WAS FOUND, IT INDICATES OVER TIGHTENING OF STUD BOLTS AT INSTALLATION. WHEN WE REINSTALLED THE VALVE WITH NEW VALVE AND GASKET, WE BROUGHT THE BOLTS TO PROPER FT. LBS. OF 110 AND TIGHTENED BOLTS IN PROPER PATTERN.