KIANTONE PIPELINE CORP

Incident Narrative

ON 8/25/15 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:15AM A SMALL AMOUNT OF CRUDE OIL WAS DISCOVERED NEAR THE FILL LINE TO TANK 703 AT KIANTONE PIPELINE'S WEST SENECA TERMINAL. THE TANK HAD BEEN EMPTY AND OUT OF SERVICE FOR OVER A YEAR FOR AN API 653 INSPECTION. ALL OF THE TANK'S ANCILLARY PIPING HAD BEEN ISOLATED FROM THE TANK, BUT REMAINED FULL AND UNDER LOW PRESSURE (EST. 15 PSI.) UPON DISCOVERY OF THE OIL, FACILITY PERSONNEL QUICKLY EXCAVATED APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET OF THE BURIED FILL LINE BUT ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF OIL WAS ENCOUNTERED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND TESTING, A SMALL BREAK WAS FOUND IN A MISSHAPED 2-INCH DRAIN-UP LINE CONNECTED TO THE TANK FILL LINE. THE BREAK WAS NOT INITIALLY APPARENT BECAUSE THE PIPE COATING SERVED TO MASK THE LEAK. SMES CONCLUDED THAT FREEZE/THAW CYCLES LIKELY PRECIPITATED THE DAMAGE TO THE IDLE DRAIN-UP LINE. SMES COULD NOT DETERMINE THE ULTIMATE STRESSOR THAT HAD CAUSED THE MISSHAPED PIPE TO FINALLY RELEASE (I.E. NO APPARENT MECHANICAL FORCE OR PRESSURE.) THE DAMAGED DRAIN UP LINE WAS DISCONNECTED AND REMOVED, AND A PRESSURE RATED CLAMP WAS INSTALLED OVER THE CONNECTION POINT.