EXPLORER PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON OCTOBER 23, 2017 A RESIDENT FIRST REPORTED A PETROLEUM ODOR SMELL OFF A COMMON PIPELINE RIGHT OF WAY THAT CONTAINED NATURAL GAS AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS PIPELINES OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON, TEXAS TO A THIRD PARTY PIPELINE REPRESENTATIVE. THE THIRD PARTY PIPELINE OPERATOR REPRESENTATIVE FIRST NOTIFIED AN EXPLORER PIPELINE REPRESENTATIVE ON OCTOBER 23, 2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 09:13 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST), AT WHICH TIME THE INFORMATION FROM THE THIRD PARTY PIPELINE WAS OBTAINED. EXPLORER PIPELINE NOTIFIED THE PIPELINE CONTROL CENTER OF THE SUSPECTED LEAK IN THE COMMON PIPELINE CORRIDOR AT APPROXIMATELY 09:17. THE CONTROL CENTER IMMEDIATELY BEGAN VERIFICATION AND VALIDITY OF THE INFORMATION WITH SCADA DATA, AND THE EXPLORER PIPELINE REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDED TO THE LOCATION OF THE SUSPECTED LEAK SITE. EXPLORER PIPELINE PERSONNEL FIRST ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 09:27 AND REPORTED CONFIRMATION OF A RELEASE TO THE CONTROL CENTER AT WHICH TIME THE PIPELINE WAS SHUT DOWN AT 09:28. THE FIRST CALL TO THE NRC WAS COMPLETED AT 10:33. A FOLLOW UP NOTIFICATION WAS PROVIDED TO THE NRC WITHIN 48 HOURS. FOLLOWING THE APPROPRIATE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL NOTIFICATIONS, THE PIPELINE WAS EXCAVATED AND A LEAK FROM THE 28 INCH STOPPLE BLIND FLANGE WAS IDENTIFIED. A PLIDCO FLANGE LEAK CLAMP WAS INSTALLED, AND PREPARATIONS WERE MADE TO CUTOUT THE STOPPLE. THE CURRENT RELEASE VOLUME FROM CONTINUED REMEDIATION, SOIL EXCAVATION AND SOIL SAMPLING IS 16.2 BARRELS. THE STOPPLE WAS CUTOUT ON NOVEMBER 1, 2017. THE MANUFACTURER AND A THIRD PARTY EVALUATED THE STOPPLE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DIRECT CAUSE OF THE RELEASE WAS FROM DAMAGE TO THE GASKET ASSOCIATED WITH THE BLIND FROM ORIGINAL INSTILLATION IN 1977.