ALYESKA PIPELINE SERVICE CO

Incident Narrative

ON APRIL 20, 2016, PERSONNEL WERE PREPARING FOR AN ANNUAL TANK INSPECTION OF TK-150 AT PUMP STATION 5 (PS05). DURING THIS PREPARATION WORK THE INDIVIDUAL WAS ON THE TOP OF THE TANK. AT 2:30 PM VAPORS IGNITED AND THE INDIVIDUAL EVACUATED THE TANK FARM AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE CONTROL ROOM. THE TRANS ALASKA PIPELINE SYSTEM (TAPS) WAS SHUT DOWN AT 2:38 PM. THE PIPELINE WAS RESTARTED AT 11:30 PM ON APRIL 20, 2016 WITH TK-150 ISOLATED FROM THE SYSTEM. WITH THE TANK SHUT-IN THE FLAME DECREASED IN SIZE AND RESPONSE WORKERS USED FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT AND FOAM TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AT 1:30 AM ON APRIL 21, 2016. INVESTIGATION AND REPAIRS HAVE BEEN INITIATED. THE SCOPE OF REPAIR WORK INCLUDES CLEANING THE TANK SURFACE, REMOVAL OF THE DAMAGED VENT VALVE AND REINSTALLATION OF A NEW VALVE (REPAIR-IN-KIND). THIS WORK IS PLANNED FOR COMPLETION ON APRIL 26, 2016. UPDATE: CORRECTION OF THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS TESTED, ONE INDIVIDUAL WAS TESTED. REPAIR COMPLETED ON 4/26/2016, A NEW VENT VALVE WAS INSTALLED AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING. UPDATE: THE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION OF THE EVENT IS COMPLETE. THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS DETERMINED TO BE SPARKING CREATED DURING PREPARATION FOR TANK VENT VALVE INSPECTION. AN ADJUSTABLE WRENCH WAS IN USE AND STRUCK A HARD OBJECT WHILE VAPORS WERE ESCAPING FROM THE ACCESS PANEL PERIMETER. THIS RESULTED IN AN IGNITION OF VAPORS. NO GAS MONITOR WAS IN USE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. MUCH OF THE EVIDENCE WAS DESTROYED IN THE FIRE, HOWEVER, ALYESKA CONCLUDED THAT THE GASKET ON THE ACCESS PANEL COVERING THE VENT VALVE WAS NOT CONTAINING VAPORS AS EXPECTED. ALYESKA IS REVIEWING PROCEDURES AND PROCESSES AND IMPLEMENTED PREVENTATIVE MEASURES AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. ALYESKA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DISPUTE THAT THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT SUBJECT TO THE NOTICE AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN 49 C.F.R.