HOLLY ENERGY PARTNERS - OPERATING, L.P.

Incident Narrative

ON 11/28/17 AT 09:00, A HOLLY ENERGY PIPELINE CONTRACTOR (FERGUSON CONSTRUCTION) WAS EXCAVATING A 10 FOOT BY 35-FOOT AREA ON THE CROUCH TO LOVINGTON PIPELINE TO ASSESS AN ANOMALY DISCOVERED DURING AN ILI TOOL RUN. THE TERRAIN IS HARD PACK, AND ROCKY SUB SURFACE. THE CONTRACTOR EMPLOYED A TRACK HOE EQUIPPED WITH A JACKHAMMER DEVICE TO BREAK UP THE ROCK. THE TRACK HOE OPERATOR WAS WORKING ACROSS THE PIPELINE, DUE TO LIMITED WORKSPACE; (INSTEAD OF PARALLEL) TO BREAK UP THE ROCK AREA TO EXPOSE THE PIPELINE. THE OPERATOR POSITIONED THE JACKHAMMER, APPLIED PRESSURE TO FRAGMENT THE ROCKY SUBSURFACE, WHEN THE JACKHAMMER DEVICE BOUNCED UP, RECOILING INTO THE PIPELINE, PUNCTURING THE PIPELINE, AND RELEASING 45 BARRELS OF CRUDE. HOLLY ENERGY PARTNERS IS CONDUCTING A ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS INVESTIGATION OF THIS INCIDENT, AND PRELIMINARY CAUSATION HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS IMPROPER EXCAVATION TECHNIQUE USED BY THE CONTRACTOR. ****CORRECTIVE ACTION*****AMENDED EXCAVATION POLICY TO REFLECT THE FOLLOWING: G. EXCAVATION EQUIPMENT SHOULD ALWAYS BE SET UP IN SUCH A WAY THAT ANY FORCE EXERTED WHILE REMOVING MATERIAL IS ALWAYS EXERTED AWAY FROM THE PIPE H. EQUIPMENT MUST ALWAYS BE SET UP SO THAT IT DOES NOT REACH ACROSS THE PIPELINE FOR ANY REASON. IF THE SPOIL PILE NEEDS TO BE HAULED OFF OR A FENCE NEEDS REMOVED TO COMPLETE THE EXCAVATION SAFELY THEN THOSE ACTIONS MUST BE TAKEN. IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION CONTACT YOUR SUPERVISOR IMMEDIATELY. I. NO MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT IS PERMITTED TO BE USED WITHIN 2' OF ANY PIPELINE. IF ANYONE ONSITE FEELS THAT 2' IS NOT SUFFICIENT, THE TOLERANCE ZONE WILL BE EXPANDED TO THE NECESSARY DISTANCE TO ENSURE SAFETY. IF THE HAZARD STILL EXISTS OUTSIDE OF THE 2' TOLERANCE ZONE THEN HAND EXCAVATION METHODS MUST BE USED. (I.E. PICKS, SHOVELS, HAND OPERATED JACKHAMMERS, ETC.)