HARVEST ALASKA, LLC

Incident Narrative

AT 12:45 PM ON NOVEMBER 8, 2018, A MAINTENANCE CREW OBSERVED CRUDE OIL LEAKING FROM A GREASE PORT ON THE 16-INCH MAINLINE BLOCK VALVE HV-5001 WHILE DRIVING TO ENDICOTT PRODUCTION FACILITY. THE CREW IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE CONTROL ROOM. AN OPERATOR STOPPED THE LEAK AT 12:55 PM. THE OPERATOR WAS ABLE TO STOP THE LEAK BY TAPPING ON THE FITTING, EFFECTIVELY RESEATING THE BALL CHECK WITHIN THE GREASE ZERK FITTING ASSEMBLY. THE OPERATOR THEN ATTACHED A PIGGYBACK TO THE ZERK FITTING THAT PROVIDED A POSITIVE SHUTOFF, AND REMOVED ALL POSSIBILITY OF ANY ADDITIONAL LEAKAGE. APPROXIMATELY 82 GALLONS OF CRUDE OIL WAS SPILLED ACROSS ROUGHLY 1000 SQUARE FEET OF SNOW COVERED ROW AND TUNDRA. ALL OF THE SPILLED PRODUCT WAS RECOVERED BY SPILL CLEANUP CREWS. THE 16-INCH TRUNION MOUNTED BALL VALVE WAS MANUFACTURED WITH REMOTE GREASE ZERK FITTINGS. THE GREASE ZERK FITTINGS ARE LOCATED AT THE END OF TUBING THAT EXTENDS UP AND AWAY FROM THE VALVE, OUTSIDE OF AN INSULATING BOX. THERE ARE TWO CHECKS WITHIN THE TUBING TO PREVENT PRODUCT FROM FLOWING BACK THROUGH THE TUBING; THE BALL CHECK AT THE ZERK FITTING, AND AN ADDITIONAL CHECK AT THE VALVE BODY, WHERE THE TUBING CONNECTS TO THE VALVE. BOTH CHECKS FAILED, ALLOWING CRUDE OIL TO RELEASE FROM THE TUBING. TO MITIGATE ANY POTENTIAL FOR SIMILAR LEAKS, ENDICOTT OPERATORS INSTALLED PIGGY-BACKS TO ZERK GREASE FITTINGS ON ALL OTHER VALVES WITH THE SAME SINGLE-CHECK ZERK FITTINGS (A TOTAL OF 8 PIGGY BACKS ON 3 VALVES). THE PIGGY BACKS PROVIDE A POSITIVE SHUTOFF FOR THE FITTINGS AND THEY ENSURE THE FITTINGS WILL NOT LEAK.