PHILLIPS 66 PIPELINE LLC

Incident Narrative

DURING OPERATION ROUNDS EMPLOYEE DISCOVERED A LEAKING MIXER ON TANK 1701 GEARBOX. EMPLOYEE IMMEDIATELY CONTROLLED THE SPILL WITH CONTAINMENT EQUIPMENT AND INSTALLED BOOMS IN THE AREA. THE TANK MIXER AND ALL NEARBY SOURCES OF IGNITION WERE ISOLATED AS A SAFETY PRE-CAUTION. DUTY OFFICER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WERE DISPATCHED TO THE TERMINAL. TANK PRODUCT WAS PUMPED DOWN BELOW OF THE MIXER LEVEL, AND THE MIXER WAS REMOVED AND TANK RETURNED TO SERVICE. JENSEN MIXERS WAS CONSULTED TO PERFORM AND RCA OF THE MIXER FAILURE, THE MANUFACTURER CONCLUDED THAT THE MIXER FAILED DUE TO ""GENERAL WEAR AND TEAR"" DUE TO THE AGE OF THE MIXER, (44 YEARS OLD). FROM JENSEN REPORT: THE GEARBOX LEAKING GEAR OIL OUT OF THE TOP PINION O-RING (THERE ARE CLEAR SIGNS THIS MIXER WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE TOP). O-RINGS UNFORTUNATELY FAIL OVER TIME, AND WE ARE TAKING STEPS TO IMPROVE THE SERVICE LIFE OF THESE. SINCE THIS MIXER WAS INSTALLED/REBUILT, WE HAVE DONE AWAY WITH THE BUNA-N O-RING MATERIAL WHICH USED TO BE STANDARD IN GEARBOXES, AND WE ARE NOW USING DOUBLE VITON GFLT O-RINGS IN THE TOP PINION. WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS AND WE ARE SEEING ZERO LEAKS. WE BELIEVE THIS LEAKING (OF GEAR OIL) OUT OF THE TOP PINION, ALLOWED A MAJORITY OF THE OIL TO LEAK OUT THE TOP, THE GEARBOX RESERVOIR TO DRY UP, AND THE GEARBOX TO RUN HOT AND UN-LUBRICATED. FROM HERE THE GEARBOX SEIZED UP, BEARINGS FAILED, AND WHEN'.. #2) THE MECHANICAL SEAL FAILED, YOU COULD NOT ROTATE THE MIXER (OR LOCK IT OFF) BECAUSE THE MAIN BEARING WAS SEIZED TO THE YOKE. THIS FURTHER EXPLAINS THE RIPPED YOKE EARS WHICH PROBABLY BROKE AS A RESULT OF A PRY BAR BEING USED TO TRY AND ROTATE THE SHAFT, WHICH COULD NOT TURN.