TEXSTAR MIDSTREAM LOGISTICS, LP

Incident Narrative

DELIVERING CRUDE OIL TO 3RD PARTY STORAGE FACILITY VIA LACT METER SKID. GAS CONTROLLER RECEIVED HIGH PRESSURE ALARM ON LACT METER SKID AND NOTIFIED PIPELINE OPERATIONS PERSONNEL. OPERATIONS PERSONNEL HAD RESPONDED BY SHUTTING DOWN PUMPS AND INVESTIGATING CAUSE OF HIGH PRESSURE. WHILE OPERATOR WAS ENROUTE TO LACT METER SKID LOCATION, 3RD PARTY STORAGE FACILITY OPERATOR CALLED AND REPORTED A LEAK ON THE METER SKID. UPON ARRIVAL, PIPELINE OPERATIONS PERSONNEL SHUTDOWN VALVE UPSTREAM OF LACT METER SKID TO ISOLATE LEAK. UPON INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DETERMINED DOWNSTREAM BLOCKAGE HAD CREATED THE HIGH PRESSURE EVENT RESULTING IN THE METER SKID RELIEF VALVE OPERATION RELEASING OIL TO THE SOIL. CAUSE OF DOWNSTREAM BLOCKAGE WAS ON 3RD PARTY SYSTEM, WHICH THEY REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN THE POSSIBLE RESULT OF A CHECK VALVE FAILURE; THE CHECK VALVE IN QUESTION WAS REPLACED BY THE 3RD PARTY CUSTOMER. IN ADDITION, THE LACT METER SKID HIGH PRESSURE SHUTDOWN VALVE WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE BEEN PLACED IN LOCAL MODE BY AN UNKNOWN 3RD PARTY WHICH DISABLED THE VALVE FROM OPERATING UPON HIGH PRESSURE. THE VALVE WAS PLACED BACK IN SERVICE WITH A GUARD INSTALLED OVER THE LOCAL/REMOTE SWITCH TO PREVENT FUTURE TAMPERING. REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE LACT SKID, EQUIPMENT WAS TESTED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE 4 DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE FOLLOWING CORRECTIVE ACTIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED AS A RESULT OF THE ROOT CAUSE INVESTIGATION: 1) 3RD PARTY CUSTOMER REPORTED THEY REPLACED CHECK VALVE ON THEIR DOWNSTREAM PIPING; 2) ESD VALVE WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE, COVER ADDED OVER LOCAL/REMOTE SWITCH TO PREVENT TAMPERING AND ADDED POINT IN SCADA TO ALERT GAS CONTROL CENTER WHEN VALVE IS PLACED IN LOCAL POSITION IN THE FIELD; 3) ADDED HIGH PRESSURE ALARM ON LACT SKID; 4) ADDED FLOW ALARM ON PSV DISCHARGE TO INDICATE IF PSV HAS ACTIVATED; AND, 5) ADDED SOP REQUIRING PHYSICAL VERIFICATION IN THE FIELD PRIOR TO RESUMING OPERATIONS AFTER HIGH PRESSURE ALARM AND SHUTDOWN.