COUNTRYMARK REFINING AND LOGISTICS, LLC

Incident Narrative

ON 2-6-2019, A MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR STOPPED BY SALEM STATION TO PERFORM ROUTINE STATION INSPECTIONS. AS HE DROVE PAST THE CHARGE PUMP NEXT TO TANK #481 HE NOTICED OIL ON THE PIPING. HE FURTHER INVESTIGATED AND DISCOVERED A BROKE NIPPLE SPRAYING OIL. HE IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE E-STOP AND SHUT DOWN THE STATION. HE THEN CALLED THE CONTROL ROOM AND INFORMED THEM OF THE SITUATION. HE THEN BEGAN IMPLEMENTING EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES. ALL OIL WAS CONTAINED IN THE TANK DIKE. RECENT RAINS CAUSED WATER TO POOL IN THE TANK DIKE SO THE OIL WAS RECOVERED USING SKIMMERS AND APPROXIMATELY 28 BBLS OF WATER WAS HAULED OFF FOR DISPOSAL. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE COUPLER ON THE CHARGE PUMP THAT MATES THE MOTOR AND PUMP HAD BECOME MISALIGNED. THIS CAUSED EXCESSIVE VIBRATION WHICH CAUSED THE NIPPLE CONNECTING THE PRESSURE TRANSMITTER TO FAIL. THE CONSTRUCTION SPECS CALLED FOR SCHEDULE 80 NIPPLES TO BE INSTALLED. THE NIPPLE THAT FAILED WAS SCHEDULE 40, NOT SCHEDULE 80 LIKE ALL THE OTHER NIPPLES IN THIS PIPING SYSTEM. THE SCHEDULE 40 NIPPLE MET DESIGN REQUIREMENTS, BUT IT WAS NOT AS RESISTANT TO THE VIBRATION AS A SCHEDULE 80 WOULD HAVE BEEN.