DOUBLE EAGLE PIPELINE LLC

Incident Narrative

ON 7/18/18 KINDER MORGAN'S DOUBLE EAGLE PIPELINE EXPERIENCED A RELEASE OF CONDENSATE ,LESS THAN 5 GALLONS, TO A FLARE STACK RESULTING IN BURNING LIQUID HITTING THE GROUND CAUSING A 50' X 30' GRASS FIRE ON THE PROPERTY ADJACENT TO ITS CR 908 VALVE SITE NEAR SINTON TX, SAN PATRICIO COUNTY. AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00, DURING A SEPARATION PROCESS TO REMOVE NITROGEN VAPOR SLUGS LEFT IN CRUDE CONDENSATE DUE TO MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, CONDENSATE WAS INADVERTENTLY SENT FROM A PORTABLE TWO PHASE SEPARATOR TO A PORTABLE FLARE STACK, IGNITED, AND WAS RELEASED THROUGH THE TOP OF THE FLARE STACK CAUSING BURNING LIQUID TO FALL TO THE GROUND RESULTING IN THE GRASS FIRE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED IN INCIPIENT PHASE VIA FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. THE PIPELINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE PIPELINE, AS WELL AS THE SEPARATOR AND FLARE, WERE IMMEDIATELY ISOLATED. ONCE KINDER MORGAN PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE MET IMMEDIATE TELEPHONIC NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS OF 195.52(B)(2) RELEASE OF HAZARDOUS LIQUID RESULTING IN A FIRE NOT INTENTIONALLY SET BY THE OPERATOR, TELEPHONIC NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER AND THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TX (PIPELINE SAFETY & OIL & GAS DIVISION) AT 10:55 WITHIN ONE HOUR OF CONFIRMED DISCOVERY. OUR INTERNAL INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE ROOT CAUSE TO BE INADEQUATE PROCEDURES. THE SITE SPECIFIC PROCEDURE THE CONTRACTOR DEVELOPED FOR THIS ACTIVITY DID NOT PREVENT THE INCORRECT OPERATION DESCRIBED IN SECTION G7. THE PROCEDURE WAS MODIFIED DURING THE STAND DOWN AND INVESTIGATION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE RELEASE, AND THE JOB ULTIMATELY CONTINUED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENTS.