CHAPARRAL ENERGY, LLC

hazardous_liquid Incident — — March 27, 2016

Incident Information

Incident DateMarch 27, 2016
OperatorCHAPARRAL ENERGY, LLC
CommodityCO2 (CARBON DIOXIDE)
Pipeline Typehazardous_liquid

Location

State
Coordinates36.47406, -100.59471

Cause

CauseCORROSION FAILURE
SubcauseEXTERNAL CORROSION

Casualties

Fatalities0
Injuries0

Costs

Property Damage$15,000
Emergency Response$0
Other Costs$0

Location Map

Incident Narrative

ON 3/27/2016, A LAND OWNER REPORTED TO US A SMOKE-LIKE SUBSTANCE EMANATING FROM THE GROUND NEAR OUR BURIED TEXOK CO2 PIPELINE. OPERATOR PERSONNEL LOCATED AND CONFIRMED THE EXISTENCE OF A CO2 LEAK AND OBSERVED SOME DRY ICE OVER THE ROW THAT WAS SUBLIMATING INTO A GASEOUS STATE. THE AREA SURROUNDING THE LEAK WAS SECURED. THE RELEASE DID NOT RESULT IN EXPLOSION, FIRE, DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE, OR POLLUTION OF ANY WATER BODY, AND THE RELEASE WAS CONFINED TO THE PIPELINE RIGHT OF WAY. THE CO2 SOURCE PLANT WAS NOTIFIED AND SHUTDOWN, AND THE LEAKING PIPELINE SEGMENT WAS ISOLATED BY CLOSING THE UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM VALVES, AND THEN THAT SEGMENT WAS BLOWN DOWN BY OPENING ABOVE-GROUND BLOWDOWN VALVES NEAR THE UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM VALVES. UPON EXCAVATION ON 3/29/2016, THE COATING WAS FOUND TO BE LOOSE FROM THE PIPE AND A PINHOLE LEAK WAS FOUND ABOUT 6 INCHES AWAY FROM A GIRTH WELD. A PORTION OF THE PIPE CONTAINING THE LEAK AND WELD WAS CUTOUT AND REMOVED, AND WAS REPLACED WITH PRE-TESTED PIPE. X-RAY OF BOTH WELDS WAS ACCEPTED. WELDS WERE DOPED, AND THE PIPELINE WAS PURGED WITH CO2 BY OPENING THE UPSTREAM VALVE. ONCE PURGING WAS COMPLETED, VALVES WERE OPENED AND THE CO2 SOURCE PLANT WAS RESTARTED, RETURNING THE PIPELINE TO REGULAR SERVICE IN A SAFE MANNER. THE DIG HOLE WAS BACKFILLED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.

Back to All Incidents More Incidents in