PLAINS PIPELINE, L.P.

Incident Narrative

ON JULY 10, 2015, DURING A HEAVY RAINSTORM, APPROXIMATELY 100 BBLS OF CRUDE OIL WERE RELEASED AT PLAINS POCAHONTAS STATION, FROM A FAILED 1-INCH STAINLESS STEEL FITTING USED TO CONNECT THE PIPELINE TO A GRAVITOMETER. IN RESPONSE TO NOTIFICATION FROM THE PUBLIC AT 07:44 AM, PLAINS SHUT DOWN THE PIPELINE AND DISPATCHED A PIPELINE OPERATOR AT 07:47 AM. THE PIPELINE OPERATOR ARRIVED ON SITE AT 08:32 AM, IN WHICH HE CONFIRMED A RELEASE AND ISOLATED THE FAILED FITTING AND ASSOCIATED PIPING. DUE TO THE INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS, RAIN CARRIED THE CRUDE OIL OFF THE PROPERTY AND INTO A DRAINAGE DITCH THAT DRAINS INTO AN UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF LITTLE SILVER CREEK, APPROXIMATELY 0.6 MILES DOWN THE ROAD, THEN INTO HIGHLAND SILVER LAKE. IT WAS NOT UNTIL 10:42 AM, LOCAL TIME, THAT THE RELEASE WAS CONFIRMED TO HAVE REACHED THE CREEK AND WAS A REPORTABLE INCIDENT. REMEDIATION AND MONITORING ACTIVITIES ARE ONGOING. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. A THIRD-PARTY METALLURGIST HAS BEEN CONTACTED TO EVALUATE THE FAILED FITTING. A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED ONCE THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS ARE RECEIVED. THE ACCIDENT WAS INITIALLY REPORTED BY PLAINS TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER (NRC) ON 7/10/2015 AT 11:10 INDICATING THE QUANTITY RELEASED AS UNKNOWN AND AN UNKNOWN VOLUME RELEASED IN WATER. NRC REPORT NUMBER 1122376 WAS ASSIGNED. THIS NRC REPORT WAS UPDATED ON 7/12/2015 AT 13:04 TO REFLECT 100 BBLS AS THE QUANTITY RELEASED AND AN UNKNOWN VALUE FOR THE VOLUME SPILLED IN WATER. NRC REPORT NUMBER 1122561 WAS ASSIGNED. SUPPLEMENTAL NARRATIVE: BASED ON RESULTS OF MECHANICAL/METALLURGICAL TESTING AND ROOT CAUSE FAILURE ANALYSIS, THE RELEASE INCIDENT APPEARS TO HAVE RESULTED FROM THE ACCIDENTAL SEPARATION OF 1' STAINLESS STEEL TUBE FROM A SWAGELOK COMPRESSION FITTING IN THE DISCHARGE LINE OF GRAVITOMETER AT THE POCAHONTAS STATION. THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSES WERE INCONCLUSIVE AS TO THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF THE TUBING SEPARATION, THOUGH LOCATION AND SIZE OF THE TUBING MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE. LOSS OF CONTAINMENT DUE TO EROSION IN DIKE AT THE STATION ALSO OCCURRED AND CONTRIBUTED TO INCIDENT. POCAHONTAS STATION REMAINS SHUT DOWN AND IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE UTILIZED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.