EXPLORER PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON OCTOBER 30 AND 31, 2018 EXPLORER PIPELINE PERSONNEL COMPLETED A FILTER MEDIA REPLACEMENT PROJECT ASSOCIATED WITH A JET FUEL FILTERING SYSTEM AT THE HAMMOND, IN TANK FARM. AFTER REPLACING THE FILTER MEDIA THE FILTER SYSTEM WAS NOT REQUIRED, AND IT WAS NOT REFILLED. ON NOVEMBER 13, 2018 EXPLORER PIPELINE ELECTED TO FILTER A BATCH OF JET FUEL, AND LOCAL PERSONNEL BEGAN THE REFILLING PROCESS. THE REFILL OF THE FILTER SYSTEM INVOLVED A CONTROLLED GRAVITY FILL FROM A HAMMOND JET FUEL TANK BY LOCAL PERSONNEL ON SITE. DURING THE REFILL PROCESS, JET FUEL WAS RELEASED FROM THE FILTER LID. THE REFILL WAS IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED AND LOCAL PERSONNEL RESPONDED TO THE RELEASE. AN INVESTIGATION CONFIRMED THE DIRECT SOURCE OF THE RELEASE WAS FROM AN O-RING THAT HAD BEEN DAMAGED ON OCTOBER 30 OR 31, 2018 BY THE FILTER LID DURING THE MAINTENANCE OPERATION TO REPLACE THE FILTER MEDIA. THE FILTER MANUFACTURER AND VENDOR HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY EXPLORER PIPELINE TO PROCEDURILZE AN IMPROVED METHOD TO CONFIRM AN O-RING, THAT FITS IN A GROVE IS NOT DAMAGED DURING OR AFTER THE LARGE FILTER LID IS SECURELY PLACED. DURING THE REPLACEMENT PROCESS IN OCTOBER 2018 THE O-RING WAS DAMAGED WHEN THE LID WAS REPLACED. AS SOIL WAS REMOVED, PART D QUESTION 4 WAS REVISED TO YES.