EQUISTAR CHEMICALS, L.P.
hazardous_liquid Incident — — November 19, 2017
Incident Information
| Incident Date | November 19, 2017 |
| Operator | EQUISTAR CHEMICALS, L.P. |
| Commodity | HVL OR OTHER FLAMMABLE OR TOXIC FLUID WHICH IS A GAS AT AMBI |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 28.46661, -96.93276 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | DEFECTIVE OR LOOSE TUBING OR FITTING |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $200 |
| Emergency Response | $2,400 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
EQUISTAR PIPELINE CONTROL CENTER RECEIVED LEL ALARM AT THE TIVOLI PUMP STATION ON THE CROSS COUNTRY SYSTEM 31 VIDAURI TO PS2 (TIVOLI). THE PUMP STATION EMERGENCY SHUT-DOWN (ESD) ACTIVATED PER DESIGN, THE PUMP STATION VALVES ALIGNED TO BY-PASS THE STATION AND THE PRESSURE WITHIN THE PUMP STATION WAS SENT TO THE FLARE. ON-CALL TECHNICIANS WERE DISPATCHED TO INVESTIGATE THE ALARM AND ESD. AT 1:05AM ON 11/20/2017, THE TECHNICIANS DISCOVERED A 3/8IN STAINLESS STEEL TUBING TO A PRESSURE TRANSMITTER HAD FAILED ON THE PUMP DISCHARGE. THE TUBING WAS REPLACED AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE PUMP STATION WAS BROUGHT BACK ONLINE. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE TUBING FAILURE WAS DUE TO HIGH CYCLE, LOW STRESS MECHANICAL FATIGUE SUGGESTING HIGH-FREQUENCY VIBRATION AS THE LIKELY CAUSE. THE TUBING WAS CONNECTED TO A PRESSURE TRANSMITTER WHICH WAS MOUNTED IN A MANNER THAT AMPLIFIED VIBRATIONS TRANSFERRED FROM THE PUMP DISCHARGE PIPING. TO PREVENT RECURRENCE THE PRESSURE TRANSMITTER WILL BE REMOUNTED TO ADDRESS HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION AND THE INVESTIGATION FINDINGS AND CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO EMPLOYEES.
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.