PHILLIPS 66 PIPELINE LLC

Incident Narrative

AS PART OF AN ANOMOLY REPAIR AT MP-221 ON THE BORGER DENVER PIPELINE, A WELDED SLEEVE WAS BEING INSTALLED ON THE PIPELINE. THE SLEEVE WAS BEING WELDED ON THE LINE, WHILE THE LINE WAS IN OPERATION. THE PIPELINE FLOW AND PRESSURES WERE SET AT PROPER LEVELS PER ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS. THE WELDING OF THE LONGITUDINAL WELDS HAD BEEN COMPLETED. AT APPROXIMATELY 08:30 ON JUNE 23, 2015, WHILE WELDING THE CIRCUMFERENCIAL WELDS ON THE SLEEVE, THE WELDERS REMOTE UNIT FAILED CAUSING THE WELDING UNIT AMPS TO GO TO MAXIMUM (400 AMPS). THIS HIGH AMP EVEN CAUSED THE WELDER TO BLOW-THOUGH THE PIPE WALL INTO THE LINE. THERE WAS A SMALL RELEASE (OF GASOLINE) AND A SMALL FIRE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RELEASE. ALL THE RELEASED MATERIAL BURNED IN THE FIRE. THE BLOW-THROUGH SEALED OFF AND THE RELEASE STOPPED WITH-IN SECONDS AFTER STARTING. THE LINE WAS SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATELY, AND THE SITUATION WAS ASSESSED. ALTHOUGH THE PIPELINE WAS SHUTDOWN, THE RELEASE HAD STOPPED AND SO THERE WAS NO NEED TO ISOLATE THE SECTION OF PIPELINE SINCE THE RELEASE HAD STOPPED. TO REPAIR THE SECTION OF PIPE WHERE THE BLOW-THROUGH OCCURRED, EVENTUALLY IT WAS DECIDED TO CUT THE SECTION OF PIPE OUT AND REPLACE IT. THE FINAL RESTART OF THE LINE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 09:30 ON SATURDAY, JUNE 27.