WEST SHORE PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:00 A.M., A ROUTINE INSPECTION BY A BUCKEYE EMPLOYEE IDENTIFIED STAINED SOIL AROUND THE LOOP PROVER AT O'HARE FIELD TERMINAL. NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE TO SHUT THE INCOMING PIPE LINE DOWN FOR INVESTIGATION. ALL INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL NOTIFICATIONS WERE COMPLETED AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES WERE INITIATED. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE PROVER IDENTIFIED A LEAKING FLANGE ON A BURIED POSITION DETECTOR SWITCH. THE VOLUME IS ESTIMATED TO BE 10 BARRELS OF JET FUEL RELEASED ONTO COMPANY AND NEIGHBORING PROPERTY. LOCAL RESOURCES AND OSRO RESPONDED TO REMEDIATE THE AFFECTED AREA. METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CORRODED AREAS WILL DETERMINE THE ACTUAL TYPE AND CAUSE OF THE CORROSION. (SEE BELOW) THE INITIAL CAUSE OF THE LEAK WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE CARBON STEEL BOLTS THAT ARE CONNECTED BETWEEN THE PROVER PIPING AND THE SWITCH ADAPTER BLOCK. THE SWITCH ADAPTER BLOCK WAS CONSTRUCTED OF STAINLESS STEEL. THE COMBINING OF DISSIMILAR METALS IN AN ELECTROLYTE, STAINLESS STEEL TO CARBON STEEL, MAY HAVE CREATED A LOCALIZED GALVANIC CELL. THE MECHANICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CARBON STEEL PROVER PIPING AND CARBON STEEL BOLTS MAY HAVE DEVELOPED DISCONTINUITY OVER TIME. AS THE CARBON STEEL BOLTS BECAME MORE ANODIC TO THE STAINLESS STEEL PLATE, THE RESISTANCE OF THE CARBON STEEL MECHANICAL CONNECTIONS MAY HAVE INCREASED. THIS COULD HAVE LIMITED THE ABILITY OF CATHODIC PROTECTION REACHING THE BOLTS FROM THE IMPRESSED CURRENT SYSTEMS.