MOTIVA ENTERPRISE LLC
hazardous_liquid Incident — — July 5, 2017
Incident Information
| Incident Date | July 5, 2017 |
| Operator | MOTIVA ENTERPRISE LLC |
| Commodity | REFINED AND/OR PETROLEUM PRODUCT (NON-HVL) WHICH IS A LIQUID |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 29.87383, -93.95780 |
Cause
| Cause | CORROSION FAILURE |
| Subcause | EXTERNAL CORROSION |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $2,414 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
THE 5-6 LINE WHICH TRANSPORTS FINISHED LUBE PRODUCTS FROM THE MOTIVA PORT ARTHUR REFINERY TO THE MOTIVA PORT ARTHUR MARINE TERMINAL, WAS DISCOVERED TO BE LEAKING ON JULY 5, 2017. AS A RESULT, THE LINE WAS EXCAVATED FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR. FAILURE WAS OBSERVED ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE PIPE IN ONE AREA, MEASURED TO BE APPROXIMATE 17 INCHES LONG. CROSS SECTION OF PIPE CONTAINING THE FAILURE WAS SUBMITTED TO AN INDEPENDENT METALLURGICAL TESTING LAB FOR ANALYSIS. BASED ON EXTENSIVE EXAMINATION, THE CONCLUSION WAS MADE THAT IN MOST LIKELIHOOD, FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF DUCTILE FRACTURE ALONG A NON-OPTIMAL ERW SEAM. THE FAILURE ONSET WAS FACILITATED BY: 1. INTERMITTENT PATCHES OF LACK OF FUSION ALONG THE ERW JOINT AND 2. SIGNIFICANT OD SURFACE WALL LOSS DUE TO PREFERENTIAL CORROSION ALONG THE SIDE OF THE PIPE CORRESPONDING TO THE ERW. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE OUT OF SERVICE, BLOCKED IN LINE OVER-PRESSURED DUE TO THERMAL EXPANSION BUT EXACT FAILURE PRESSURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED THROUGH THE FAILURE ANALYSIS.
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.