ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS OPERATING LLC

Incident Narrative

ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR WAS NOTIFIED OF A HYDROCARBON LEAK AT THE MERMENTAU PIG TRAP SITE (MP 53.24) ON THE 12 INCH LOU-TEX NGL PIPELINE IN MERMENTAU, LOUISIANA. ENTERPRISE HOUSTON OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER WAS NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY TO SHUT-IN THE UPSTREAM PIPELINE MOV AT CASTLE COVE VALVE SITE (HWY. 92) (MP 55.39). DOWNSTREAM PUMP STATION AT SECTION 28 PULLED THE LINE PRESSURE DOWN TO 200 PSI AND HCC SHUT-IN THE MOV AT CLINT ROAD VALVE SITE (MP 34.36). A NITROGEN PUMP TRUCK WAS CONTRACTED TO DISPLACE THE HYDROCARBONS FROM THE HWY 92 VALVE SITE ACROSS THE MERMENTAU SITE CONTINUING ON TO THE CLINT RD. SITE. THE MERMENTAU TRAP ISOLATION VALVES WERE CLOSED AS SOON AS THE HYDROCARBON RELEASE WAS STOPPED BY THE NITROGEN DISPLACEMENT. NO INJURIES REPORTED, LA. STATE POLICE NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE, INCIDENT # 15-01484 BASED ON THE RESULTS OF TESTING AND ANALYSIS, IT IS CONCLUDED BOTH THE PIPE NIPPLE AND BOURDON TUBE FAILED TO FATIGUE CRACKING WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED BY MECHANICAL MOVEMENTS OF THE PIG CATCHER, PRESSURE PULSATIONS WITHIN THE PIG CATCHER, OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. NOTE: A SECOND NRC NUMBER IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS REPORT - # 1113985, UPDATED VOLUME WAS REPORTED ON 4/18/15 AT 9:56 AM. NOTE: TIME LINE OF ACCIDENT ADDED TO REPORT ON JULY 18, 2016 - PART A4 6:48 AM WAS TIME THE RELEASE WAS DETERMINED TO MEET ACCIDENT REPORTING CRITERIA BASED UPON THE VOLUME RELEASED EXCEEDING 5 GALLONS. THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY REPORTABLE TO THE NRC UNTIL 9:15 AM WHEN THE DETERMINATION WAS MADE THAT THE ACCIDENT WOULD RESULT IN REPAIRS EXCEEDING $50,000.