SEADRIFT PIPELINE CORP

Incident Narrative

A PROPANE LEAK WAS EXPERIENCE FROM THE ELLA BROWNSVILLE PIPELINE. AN AERIAL LEAK SURVEY REPORTED A POTENTIAL LEAK TO OPERATIONS. A PIPELINE TECHNICIAN WAS DISPATCHED TO VALIDATE THE POTENTIAL LEAK. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE PIPELINE TECHNICIAN, AN UNDERGROUND LEAK WAS DISCOVERED. THERE WAS NO FIRE, EXPLOSION, OR LOSS OF PROPERTY. UPON DISCOVERY, THE PIPELINE TECHNICIAN NOTIFIED THE HOUSTON CONTROL CENTER, AND THE LINE SEGMENT WAS ISOLATED. AN 8 MILE SECTION OF LINE WAS CLEARED TO A FLARE IN PREPARATION FOR EXCAVATION, ANALYSIS AND REPAIR OF THE LEAK SITE. BASED ON THE METALLURGIC REPORT, THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE THROUGH WALL CORROSION PITTING ON THIS SECTION OF THE ELLA-BROWNSVILLE PIPE WAS THE FAILURE OF THE POLYKEN TAPE COATING. THE PRIMARY CORROSION MECHANISM WAS AN ACIDIC ATTACK FACILITATED BY A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF CHLORINE FROM CHLORIDES IN SOIL. SECONDARY CORROSION MECHANISMS INCLUDE OXYGEN CORROSION AND MICROBIAL INDUCED CORROSION (MIC). THE PIPELINE HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE.