PERMIAN EXPRESS TERMINAL LLC
hazardous_liquid Incident — — October 27, 2017
Incident Information
| Incident Date | October 27, 2017 |
| Operator | PERMIAN EXPRESS TERMINAL LLC |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 31.94610, -101.91646 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | OTHER INCORRECT OPERATION |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $500 |
| Emergency Response | $1,200 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
DURING A ROUTINE FACILITY INSPECTION ON 10/27/2017 OPERATIONS PERSONNEL DISCOVERED A RELEASE OF APPROXIMATELY 1/2 BARREL OF CRUDE OIL AT TANK 7112 ROOF DRAIN. THE ROOF DRAIN VALVE WAS CLOSED TO STOP THE RELEASE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED APPROXIMATELY 3 BARRELS OF OIL ON THE ROOF WHICH ALLOWED OIL INTO THE ROOF DRAIN SYSTEM. OIL WAS REMOVED FROM THE ROOF VIA VACUUM TRUCK CONNECTION TO THE ROOF DRAIN. A THIRD PARTY TANK INSPECTION COMPANY INSPECTED THE ROOF SEAL AND ATTACHED APPURTENANCES AND FOUND NO ANOMALIES IN THE ROOF SEAL INTEGRITY. RCA REVEALED THAT WHEN THE TANK MIXER CAME ON AT LOW LEVEL, THE PRESSURE GENERATED FROM THE MIXER AND THE HIGH VISCOSITY OF CRUDE IN THE TANK PUSHED THE OIL PAST THE SEAL AND ONTO THE ROOF. SUBSEQUENTLY THE MIXER LEVEL SWITCHES WERE REPROGRAMED TO A HIGHER LEVEL FOR TANK OPERATION. ALL TANK MIXERS WITHIN THE FACILITY HAVE BEEN EVALUATED AND REPROGRAMED TO PREVENT FUTURE RECURRENCE.
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.