EQUISTAR CHEMICALS, L.P.
hazardous_liquid Incident — — August 9, 2016
Incident Information
| Incident Date | August 9, 2016 |
| Operator | EQUISTAR CHEMICALS, L.P. |
| Commodity | HVL OR OTHER FLAMMABLE OR TOXIC FLUID WHICH IS A GAS AT AMBI |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 29.70158, -95.04140 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | NON-THREADED CONNECTION FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $1,500 |
| Emergency Response | $800 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
AT APPROXIMATELY 6:40 P.M. ON AUGUST 9, 2016, A LEAK WAS DISCOVERED ON A PIPELINE PIG TRAP CLOSURE LOCATED AT A METER DELIVERY STATION FLOWING MATERIAL TO A CUSTOMER. AN IN-LINE INSPECTION TOOL WAS RUN THROUGH THE PIPELINE APPROXIMATELY 2.5 HOURS EARLIER TO MEET TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS. THE PIPELINE PIG TRAP CLOSURE O-RING WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK AND THE FAILURE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO HIGH PRESSURE ETHYLENE INFILTRATION INTO THE O-RING MATERIAL, WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE O-RING WHEN THE TRAP WAS DEPRESSURED AND OPENED. THE O-RING REMAINED IN PLACE THROUGHOUT THREE TOOL RUNS AND THE VISIBLE PORTION OF THE O-RING WAS INSPECTED EACH TIME BEFORE THE TRAP WAS CLOSED. NO INDICATION OF MECHANICAL DAMAGE FROM REPEATED CLOSING OF THE TRAP WAS OBSERVED.
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.