BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP

Incident Narrative

ON MARCH 6TH, AT 11:35 A.M., BUCKEYE STATION OPERATOR DISCOVERED GASOLINE IN THE TANK DIKE AREA AROUND THE LIMA SOUTH TERMINAL TANK 18. ALL INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL NOTIFICATIONS WERE COMPLETED AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES WERE INITIATED. LOCAL RESOURCES AND OSRO RESPONDED TO THE AREA FOR INVESTIGATION AND CLEAN-UP. INVESTIGATION OF THE AREA REVEALED GASOLINE FLOWING FROM BENEATH TANK 18. VACUUM TRUCKS WERE POSITIONED TO RECOVER THE PRODUCT LEAKING FROM THE TANK. THE ESTIMATED RELEASE VOLUME AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT WAS 180 BARRELS OF GASOLINE, LATER DETERMINED TO BE 132 BARRELS. THE TANK WAS EMPTIED AND TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE AREA OF THE TANK FAILURE WAS CUT OUT AND SENT IN FOR METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS ON MARCH 27, 2018, BUCKEYE WILL UPDATE THIS REPORT ONCE FINAL RESULTS ARE RECEIVED. 12/06/2018 THE RESULTS OF THE METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS INDICATE THAT THE TANK FLOOR FAILED DUE TO A THROUGH WALL CRACK IN A LAP WELD. THE THROUGH WALL CRACK FORMED AS A RESULT OF DUCTILE OVERLOAD OF THE WELD METAL. A LIKELY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE FAILURE IS CORROSION OF THE WELD. RESIDUAL STRESSES FROM A WELDED REPAIR PLATE LOCATED NEAR THE FAILED WELD MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE COMBINED STRESS STATE ACROSS THE LAP WELD. FINAL REPAIRS OF THE TANK BOTTOM HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND THE TANK HAS BEEN RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATIONS.