EXPLORER PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON AUGUST 31, 2018 AN EXPLORER PIPELINE TECHNICIAN WAS CONDUCTING A STATION INSPECTION OF THE VINITA PUMP STATION AND IDENTIFIED A RELEASE FROM THE PUMP STATION'S CONTROL VALVE. THE PUMP STATION WAS ISOLATED FROM THE PIPELINE AT 07:53 ON AUGUST 31, 2018, THEN THE PIPELINE WAS SHUT DOWN AT 08:00 ON AUGUST 31, 2018 TO ALLOW PERSONNEL TO RESPOND TO THE RELEASE, AND CONDUCT NECESSARY VALVE REPAIRS. THE HIGHEST ASSOCIATED PRESSURES THE PREVIOUS 30 DAYS WAS CASE PRESSURE OF 929 PSIG WITH AN MOP OF 1,440 PSIG, AND A DISCHARGE PRESSURE OF 848 PSIG WITH A 973 PSIG MOP. THE RELEASE WAS TOTALLY CONTAINED ON THE PROPERTY, AND ANY IMPACTED SOIL WITHIN THE PUMP STATION IS BEING ADDRESSED AND PROPERLY MANAGED. THE DIRECT CAUSE OF THE RELEASE WAS FROM THE BUSHINGS OF A FISHER V25 CONTROL VALVE. THE BUSHINGS WERE SUBMITTED TO A THIRD PARTY FOR A FAILURE ANALYSIS. THE THIRD PARTY FAILURE ANALYSIS REFLECTED EVIDENCE OF VITON SEAL ABRASION ON THE SURFACE OF THE BUSHING THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONTROL VALVE. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF A BREAKDOWN OF THE SEAL FROM COMPATIBILITY ISSUES. MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF SEAL SURFACES AND CROSS-SECTIONS REVEALED NO OBVIOUS CRAZING OF ANY OF THE BUSHING SEAL SURFACES. HIGH MAGNIFICATION EXAMINATION OF THE RUBBER INDICATED EVIDENCE OF FINE LINES IN THE RUBBER THAT ARE INDICATIVE OF RUBBER ABRASION/CHAFFING. THE EXAMINATION OF THE CRACK MORPHOLOGY INDICATED THAT THE CRACK BEGAN AT THE ID OF THE BASE OF THE V-SHAPE IN THE SEAL AT AN AREA OF A RUBBER DEFECT/TEAR. THE CRACK MORPHOLOGY SURFACES ARE CLEARLY DISTINCTIVE WHEN COMPARED TO THE LAB FRACTURE FEATURES IN THE MICROSCOPY. THE DIRECT CAUSE OF THE MICROSCOPIC DEFECT IN THE SURFACE AT THE ORIGIN CAN NOT BE DETERMINED. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE BUSHINGS WERE INCORRECTLY INSTALLED. AS SOIL WAS REMOVED, PART D QUESTION 4 WAS REVISED TO YES.