WILLIAMS FIELD SERVICES

Incident Narrative

AN OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN AT THE ADJACENT OPAL PLANT WAS CONDUCTING SCHEDULED FACILITY ROUNDS OF THE PLANT WHEN A LEAK WAS OBSERVED AT 3:30AM IN THE VICINITY OF THE OVERLAND PASS PIPELINE (OPPL) - OPAL METER THERMAL LINE FOR THE BY PASS PIPING. THIS TECHNICIAN RADIOED THE OPAL PLANT CONTROL CENTER AND THEY CALLED OPPL'S PIPELINE CONTROL ADVISING THEM OF THE LEAK. PIPELINE CONTROL DECIDED TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN AND ISOLATION OF THE OPPL - OPAL METER; THIS WAS PERFORMED AT 3:35AM. PIPELINE CONTROL NOTIFIED WILLIAMS SECURITY OPERATIONS CENTER AND THE ON-CALL OPPL TECHNICIAN 3:40AM AND 3:45AM, RESPECTIVELY. OPAL PLANT TECHNICIANS MONITORED ATMOSHPERIC CONDITIONS FOR SAFETY/VAPOR CLOUD UNTIL THE OPPL TECHNICIANS ARRIVED ONSITE AT 7:00AM. OPPL TECHNICIANS VERIFIED THE SITE WAS SAFE AND FREE OF HAZARDOUS LIQUID VAPOR AND IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK ON A 1"" PIPE NIPPLE. THE PIPE NIPPLE WAS REPLACED AND THE OPAL METER WAS PURGED, PACKED, AND PLACED BACK IN SERVICE AT 11:37AM. PIPING WAS CHECKED FOR LEAKS BEFORE OPPL TECHNICANS LEFT THE FACILITY. AN INCIDENT INVESTIGATION WAS PERFORMED TO IDENTIFY THE FAILURE. THE INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE CAUSE WAS SIMILAR TO AN EARLIER EVENT AT A SIMILAR FACILITY IN MAY 2017 AT THE BUSHTON METER. THE CAUSE WAS INCOMPLETE AND IMPROPERLY MADE PIPE NIPPLES AND THREADS ON THERMAL RELIEF PIPING. OTHER SIMILAR PIPE AT THE OPAL METER WAS REMOVED AND INSPECTED AND SIMILAR ISSUES WERE FOUND; THIS AFFECTED PIPE WAS REMOVED AND PLUGGED. THERMAL RELIEF IS BEING ACHIEVED IN THE ABSENCE OF THIS PIPING THROUGH AN ANALYSIS OF THE P&IDS AND ESTABLISHING A CLEAR PATH TO RELIEF AND PROVIDING ADMINISTRATIVE/ENGINEERING CONTROLS TO MAINTAIN (USING CARSEAL PROGRAM) THE RELIEF PATH. SIMILAR PIPING EXISTS AT OTHER OPPL METER STATIONS AND FACILITIES AND IS BEING REMOVED VIA MOC TO AVOID SIMILAR EVENTS IN THE FUTURE. 48-HR NRC NOTIFICATION WAS PROVIDED VIA EMAIL AS DIRECTED BY MICHAEL JONES (PHMSA) ON 11/14/2017 AT 10:39AM TO MICHAEL JONES (PHMSA)