PHILLIPS 66 PIPELINE LLC

Incident Narrative

UPON MAKING ROUTINE OPERATOR ROUNDS IT WAS DISCOVERED A SEAL HAD FAILED ON #3 CHARGE PUMP AT WEEMS STATION CAUSING A LEAK AND SPILL. THE PUMP WAS ISOLATED (STOPPING THE LEAK) AND ALL NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE. THE TRRC WAS NOTIFIED AT 12:56 PM CENTRAL TIME OF THE SPILL. THE REPORT NUMBER IS 1486. THE SPILL WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 5.3 GALLONS. THE #3 CHARGE PUMP SEAL WAS REPLACED AND THE PUMP WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF THE PUMP SEAL FAILURE IS CONTINUING. WHEN THE CAUSE AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ARE IDENTIFIED, AN UPDATED REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED. UPDATE FOR FINAL REPORT - 3/29/2017 ANALYSIS OF THE FAILED SEAL SHOWED THE SEAL FACE WAS WORN AND DAMAGED WHICH WAS CAUSED BY SAND/GRIT IN THE CRUDE OIL PRODUCT BEING PUMPED. A SECONDARY CAUSE OF THE SPILL WAS THAT THE PUMP BASE DRAINS PLUGGED PARTIALLY (DUE TO BLOWING DIRT IN THE AREA) WHICH CAUSED SOME OF THE CRUDE OIL FROM THE LEAKING SEAL TO SPILL OVER THE PUMP BASE TO THE GROUND RATHER THAN DRAINING TO THE STATION SUMP. THE SEAL WAS INSTALLED APPROXIMATELY 8 YEARS EARLIER, SO SEAL LIFE WAS RATHER LONG. AS CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR THIS INCIDENT, A TASK HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE OPERATOR ROUNDS FOR THIS STATION TO PERFORM A SOLVENT FLUSH ON ALL THE PUMP BASE DRAINS TWICE A WEEK. THIS SHOULD ALLOW A PUMP SEAL FAILURE (SHOULD ONE OCCUR) TO DRAIN TO THE STATION SUMP AND NOT SPILL TO THE GROUND.