NUSTAR PERMIAN TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE, LLC
hazardous_liquid Incident — — September 29, 2018
Incident Information
| Incident Date | September 29, 2018 |
| Operator | NUSTAR PERMIAN TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE, LLC |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 32.29271, -101.37259 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | THREADED CONNECTION/COUPLING FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $3 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $2,988 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
NUSTAR DISCOVERED A CRUDE OIL RELEASE INSIDE ITS BIG SPRING TERMINAL AND IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN ITS PIPELINE SYSTEM. A 1-INCH VALVE WAS UTILIZED TO ISOLATE A FAILED THREADED STEEL PIPE NIPPLE USED FOR CHEMICAL INJECTION. CLEAN UP AND REMEDIATION OF THE SITE HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. UPDATE - AN ANALYSIS OF THE FAILED 1/4 -INCH THREADED PIPE NIPPLE CONCLUDED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO MECHANICAL FATIGUE IN BENDING. CYCLIC STRESSES WERE LIKELY GENERATED BY MOVEMENT OF THE VALVE AND FITTINGS ATTACHED TO THE THREADED PIPE NIPPLE DUE TO MECHANICAL LOADING TRANSMITTED THROUGH PIPING AND STRUCTURE FROM PUMPING EQUIPMENT. THE STEEL NIPPLE HAS BEEN REPLACED.
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.