DAPL-ETCO OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT, LLC
hazardous_liquid Incident — — June 12, 2017
Incident Information
| Incident Date | June 12, 2017 |
| Operator | DAPL-ETCO OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT, LLC |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 32.62170, -91.57647 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | THREADED CONNECTION/COUPLING FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $500 |
| Emergency Response | $3,000 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
DURING A ROUTINE STATION INSPECTION ON 6/12/2017, OPERATIONS PERSONNEL DISCOVERED A RELEASE AT THE EPPS PUMP STATION. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT APPROXIMATELY 3.5 BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL WAS RELEASED FROM A CRACKED PIPE NIPPLE CONNECTION TO THERMAL RELIEF VALVE PIPING ON THE PUMP SUCTION VALVE. VIBRATION FROM THE PUMP AND LACK OF SUPPORT TO THE PIPING CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE OF THE NIPPLE. ALL OIL WAS CONTAINED WITHIN THE PUMP STATION BUILDING AND WAS RECOVERED AND REINJECTED INTO THE SYSTEM. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE THERMAL RELIEF VALVE AND ASSOCIATED PIPING COULD BE ELIMINATED. STANDARD OPERATION NOW IS TO LEAVE THE SUCTION VALVE IN OPEN POSITION WHICH WILL ELIMINATE ANY THERMAL BUILDUP. ALL OTHER PUMP STATIONS ON THE ETCOP SYSTEM WERE INSPECTED FOR SIMILAR DESIGN AND WHERE FOUND THE PIPING WAS ELIMINATED TO AVOID RECURRENCE OF SIMILAR TYPE OF FAILURE.
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.