BOARDWALK LOUISIANA MIDSTREAM, LLC

Incident Narrative

BASED ON INFORMATION GATHERED DURING DISASSEMBLY OF THE PUMP, IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT POSSIBLY SEALS WERE DAMAGED DURING INSTALLATION, CAUSING THE LEAK. DAMAGE TO THE SEALS AND O-RINGS ALLOWED ETHYLENE TO LEAK INTO THE BORE OF THE GLAND PLATE. THERMAL DECOMPOSITION OF ETHYLENE IN THE THERMAL SEAL REGION LED TO A FIRE SURROUNDING THE PUMP. THIS ACCIDENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND ALL DATA IS NOT YET AVAILABLE TO BOARDWALK. A SUPPLEMENT REPORT WILL FOLLOW AS ADDITIONAL DATA BECOMES AVAILABLE. 5-29-19 PER PHMSA MARK-UP OF ORIGINAL ACCIDENT REPORT TO TELL A STORY: ON JANUARY 24, 2019 BOARDWALK LOUISIANA MIDSTREAM (BLM) OPERATIONS HAD GA-3140 C PUMP DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE. BLM UTILIZED A CONTRACTOR TO REPLACE BOTH THE INBOARD AND OUTBOARD SEALS ON THE ETHYLENE PUMP. ONCE THE SEALS WERE REPLACED, OPERATIONS PERSONNEL COMMISSIONED THE EQUIPMENT. BLM AND CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL WERE PRESENT WHEN PUMP WAS RESTARTED. TERMINAL CONSOLE SUPPLIED START COMMEND TO PUMP. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PUMP WAS STARTED, SEAL ALARMS BECAME PRESENT ON THE CONSOLE. OPERATIONS TECH CALLED CONTROL ROOM TO SHUT OWN THE PUMP BECAUSE IT HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE PUMP EXPERIENCED AN ESD DUE TO VIBRATIONS BEFORE THE CONSOLE COULD SHUT IT DOWN. OPERATIONS BEGAN ISOLATING THE WHOLE PUMP HEADER AND BEGAN SENDING ETHYLENE TO FLARE ON THE PROCESS PIPING. OPERATIONS PERSONNEL ALSO POINTED THE FRESHWATER FIRE MONITORS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PUMP. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FAILURE ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY ETHYLENE BEING RELEASED AND IGNITED DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE DRIVE-END MECHANICAL SEAL BY THE CONTRACTOR. 12-10-19 UPDATED TO CORRECT RESPONSE TO PART D QUESTION 3 (NO LONG TERM IMPACT ASSESSMENT WAS PERFORMED OR IS PLANNED). REVISED PART A QUESTION 9, ESTIMATED VOLUME OF COMMODITY RELEASED UNINTENTIONALLY; UPDATED COST OF PRODUCT LOST IN PART D QUESTION 8B TO CORRELATE WITH REVISED PRODUCT LOSS AMOUNT. ALSO, THE NARRATIVE ABOVE INCORRECTLY STATES THAT BOTH OPERATOR PERSONNEL AND CONTRACTOR WERE ONSITE WHEN THE PUMP WAS STARTED UP; CONTRACTOR WAS NOT PRESENT AT THAT TIME.