NUSTAR PERMIAN TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE, LLC
hazardous_liquid Incident — — April 19, 2018
Incident Information
| Incident Date | April 19, 2018 |
| Operator | NUSTAR PERMIAN TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE, LLC |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 32.29121, -101.37366 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | THREADED CONNECTION/COUPLING FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $20 |
| Emergency Response | $1,200 |
| Other Costs | $4,724 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
A ONE-HALF INCH THREADED STEEL PIPE NIPPLE FAILED INSIDE NUSTAR'S BIG SPRING TERMINAL. THE NIPPLE WAS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE BIG SPRINGS TERMINAL BOOSTER PUMP STATION AND WAS ATTACHED TO A PORT ON A FLOW TRANSMITTER. THE DAMAGED PIPE NIPPLE WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A PLUG. THE PIPE NIPPLE WAS SENT TO A THIRD-PARTY LABORATORY FOR ANALYSIS. UPDATE - THE FAILURE MODE WAS MECHANICAL FATIGUE IN REVERSE BENDING. CYCLIC LOADING INITIATED FATIGUE CRACKS IN THE PIPE NIPPLE THREAD ROOT, WHICH PROPAGATED UNTIL DUCTILE STRESS OVERLOAD. THE SOURCE OF THE CYCLIC LOADING WAS LIKELY MACHINERY VIBRATION OR FLUID FLOW WITHIN THE PIPING SYSTEM.
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.