ENBRIDGE ENERGY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
hazardous_liquid Incident —
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | ENBRIDGE ENERGY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 46.60222, -92.24720 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON FEBRUARY 13, 2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30AM CST, THE SUPERIOR PIPELINE MAINTENANCE (PLM) CREW WAS COMPLETING THE FINAL 2 INCH TAPS ON LINE 1 AT THE MILITARY ROAD DENSITOMETER VALVE SITE, MP 1087. THE CREW HAD COMPLETED THE DRILLING AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BACKING OUT THE DRILL BIT WHEN THE TDW 101 TAPPING MACHINE FEED TUBE WAS DISLODGED FROM THE UNIT. THE DRILL BIT WAS STILL IN THE PIPE, BUT CAME UP ENOUGH, ALLOWING THE SANDWICH VALVE TO BE CLOSED. WHEN THE TAPPING MACHINE TOOL FAILED, APPROXIMATELY 35 GALLONS OF CRUDE OIL SPRAYED OUT ONTO THE SURROUNDING SNOW. THE CAUSE OF THE LEAK IS BELIEVED TO BE DUE TO THE FAILURE OF INTERNAL PARTS OF THE TAPPING MACHINE. THE TDW 101 TAPPING MACHINE HAS BEEN SENT TO TDW FOR ANALYSIS. THE CONTAMINATED SNOW WAS CLEANED UP AND PROPERLY DISPOSED OF AT AN APPROVED SITE. THERE WAS NO SOIL IMPACTED.
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.