SHELL PIPELINE CO., L.P.

Incident Narrative

LIGHTNING STRIKE FROM A SEVERE THUNDER STORM STRUCK THE NAPOLEONVILLE PUMP STATION, NAPOLEONVILLE, LOUISIANA. THIS DISRUPTED COMMUNICATIONS IN AND OUT OF NAPOLEONVILLE. THE HOUSTON CONTROLLER COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH NAPOLEONVILLE PUMP STATION. THE HOUSTON CONTROLLER COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE IMMEDIATE ISSUE. HE MONITORED THE PIPELINE AND FOUND THAT THE PRESSURE BEGAN TO DROP ALONG WITH THE FLOW RATE AT OTHER LOCATIONS. HOUSTON CONTROLLER NOTIFIED THE FIELD PERSONNEL TO INVESTIGATE. TWENTY-EIGHT MINUTES AFTER THE COMMUNICATIONS LOSS, THE FIELD SUPERVISOR WAS NOTIFIED BY NEIGHBORING COMPANY THAT A POSSIBLE FIRE HAD OCCURRED AT THE NAPOLEONVILLE PUMP STATION. COMPANY PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON SITE, NAPOLEONVILLE PUMP STATION, REPORTED FIRE TO THE HOUSTON CONTROL CENTER. ACTIONS WERE TAKEN BY COMPANY PERSONNEL TO ISOLATE THE PIPELINE DELIVERY SEGMENTS FROM THE MAINLINE AT NAPOLEONVILLE. THE PUMP AND PIPING TO THE AFFECTED CENTRIFUGAL PUMP WAS ISOLATED. THE PUMP WILL BE SENT TO A SHOP TO BE INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE. AN ASSESSMENT OF THE NAPOLEONVILLE PUMP STATION FACILITY ADDRESSED COMMUNICATIONS, PLC, PIPING AND TWO COMPRESSOR UNITS. THE NAPOLEONVILLE PUMP STATION WAS INSPECTED BY TECHNICAL PERSONNEL AND THE FACILITY ENGINEER. THE TWO COMPRESSORS WERE FOUND FULLY OPERATIONAL. FACILITY ENGINEER PROVIDED A STATEMENT OF FITNESS TO OPERATE WHICH WAS APPROVED. A COMPRESSOR UNIT STARTED 7/16 AT 15:52HRS. LIGHTNING DAMAGED EQUIPMENT INCLUDING THE STATION PLC. THE PLC HARDWARE FAULT COMBINED WITH THE ORIGINAL WIRING DESIGN OF THE NAPOLEONVILLE PUMP STATION CAUSED THE ESD VALVES TO CLOSE. THE BLOW DOWN VALVE REMAINED CLOSED AND UNIT REMAINED RUNNING. THE RUNNING UNIT AGAINST CLOSED VALVES LED TO THE FIRE. CORRECTED LAT. LONG. 12/5/16 - UPDATED ESTIMATED REPAIRS TO PUMP/MOTOR, BUILDING AT NAPOLEONVILLE PUMP STATION. REQUESTED BY PHMSA 3/22/17 TO CLARIFY ""THE SCADA AND THE CONTROL ROOM WERE FULLY FUNCTIONAL AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ANY PARTICULAR REASON WHY THIS IS POSSIBLE?"" ANSWER THE EQUIPMENT AFFECTED BY THE LIGHTNING STRIKE WAS AT NAPOLEONVILLE, LOUISIANA. THE EQUIPMENT AT NAPOLEONVILLE WAS INTERRUPTED BY THE LIGHTNING STRIKE WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH THE HOUSTON CONTROL CENTER. THE HOUSTON CONTROL CENTER LOST COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE NAPOLEONVILLE PUMP STATION. ALL OTHER LOCATIONS ON THAT SYSTEM WERE COMMUNICATING BACK TO THE HOUSTON CONTROL CENTER. 4/11/17 CORRECTED HCA TO YES/ECO.