NUSTAR PERMIAN TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE, LLC
hazardous_liquid Incident — — November 3, 2017
Incident Information
| Incident Date | November 3, 2017 |
| Operator | NUSTAR PERMIAN TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE, LLC |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 32.29121, -101.37366 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | THREADED CONNECTION/COUPLING FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $5 |
| Emergency Response | $1,763 |
| Other Costs | $2,455 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
A ONE-INCH THREADED STEEL PIPE NIPPLE FAILED INSIDE NUSTAR'S BIG SPRING TERMINAL. THE NIPPLE WAS LOCATED ON BOOSTER PUMP 16 AND WAS PART OF A THERMAL RELIEF SYSTEM. THE NIPPLE WAS SENT TO A THIRD-PARTY LABORATORY FOR ANALYSIS. UPDATE - THERE WERE TWO FAILED THREADED NIPPLES WITHIN THE ONE-INCH THERMAL RELIEF PIPING ASSEMBLY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS MECHANICAL FATIGUE DUE TO EXCESSIVE VIBRATION OF THE UNIT 16 SUCTION PIPING AND HEADER MANIFOLD. CRACKING INITIATED IN THE PIPE THREAD ROOTS AND PROPAGATED THROUGH WALL AND AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE PIPE NIPPLES.
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.