EXPLORER PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON APRIL 10, 2015 AN EXPLORER PIPELINE EMPLOYEE ARRIVED AT A REMOTE BLOCK VALVE AND IDENTIFIED SOME STAINED GRAVEL AND A SLIGHT PETROLEUM PRODUCT ODOR. THE PIPELINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE SOURCE BEGAN. A QUALIFIED CONTRACTOR CREW ARRIVED ON LOCATION AND BEGAN EXCAVATING THE M&J M303 BLOCK VALVE. WHEN IT WAS DETERMINED THE COST FOR THE WORK TO THE BLOCK VALVE COULD MEET OR EXCEED $50,000 NOTIFICATION WAS MADE TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER. HOWEVER, ONLY ABOUT 1 PINT OF FREE PHASE PRODUCT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THE TIME. AFTER EXPOSING THE PIPELINE AND THE BLOCK VALVE, THE SOURCE OF THE RELEASE WAS CONFIRMED TO BE A FLANGED CONNECTION, WITH AN INSULATING KIT ON THE DOWNSTREAM FLANGED CONNECTION OF THE BLOCK VALVE. EXPLORER PIPELINE ELECTED TO CUTOUT THE FLANGED BLOCK VALVE AND INSTALLED A NEW WELD-IN BLOCK VALVE. APPROXIMATELY 1,200 CUBIC YARDS OF SOIL WAS REMOVED AND TESTED AND INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 4.48 BARRELS OF PRODUCT WAS IN THE SOIL. THIRD PARTY TESTS WERE CONDUCTED ON THE INSULATING KIT. THE ANALYTICAL REPORT FROM THE THIRD PARTY WAS REVIEWED AND NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION WAS PRESENT TO IDENTIFY THAT THE GASKET WAS THE ROOT CAUSE. DURING THE INVESTIGATION IT WAS ALSO DETERMINED SOME NON-RELATED ANOMALY DIGS WERE CONDUCT IN 1998 AND 2003 DIRECTLY DOWNSTREAM OF THE BLOCK VALVE. HOWEVER, NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO CONCLUDE THAT PIPE STRAIN WAS THE ROOT CAUSE. SINCE THE RELEASE IN APRIL 2015, MONITORING WELLS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ON ALL BLOCK VALVE LOCATIONS, A LEAK SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED, AND A SURVEY OF THE INSULATING KITS USED IN THE LIQUID OPERATORS WAS CONDUCTED TO CONFIRM NO SYSTEMIC ISSUE.