WHITE CLIFFS PIPELINE, LLC

Incident Narrative

THE CONTROL CENTER RECEIVED A HIGH TEMPERATURE AND SEAL FAILURE ALARMS AT CUNNINGHAM STATION. UPON RECEIVING THE ALARMS, THE CONTROLLER CONTACTED THE FIELD OPERATOR AND SHUT DOWN THE STATION. AT THE SAME TIME A ROSE ROCK FIELD SERVICES TRUCK DRIVER WAS UNLOADING ON LOCATION AT THE TRUCK RACK AND NOTICED A SMALL FIRE AT THE PUMP STATION. THE TRUCK DRIVER CONTACTED THE SAME FIELD OPERATOR. THE EMPLOYEE ARRIVED AND ISOLATED THE #2 PUMP AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE LOCATED AT THE PUMP STATION. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5 GALLONS OF CRUDE RELEASED FROM THE SEAL OF THE PUMP. THERE WAS NO SOIL REMEDIATION REQUIRED AS THE VERY SMALL SPILL IGNITED AND BURNED. THE PUMP WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN AND THE SPILL AREA WAS MINIMIZED TO WHAT HAD SPRAYED FROM THE SEAL FAILURE. ROOT CAUSE BASED ON ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION: AT 9:25 AM THE STATION DISCHARGE SET POINT HAD BEEN RAISED RFROM 1365 PSIG TO 1395 PSIG BY THE CONTROL CENTER TO INCREASE RATE ON THE PIPELINE. SINCE UNIT #2 WAS ALREADY AT MAXIMUM OUTPUT, THE INCREASE IN PRESSURE WAS ACHIEVED BY THE INCREASED SPEED OF UNIT #1 THROUGH THE PID CONTROL LOOP. AS A RESULT THE INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE BETWEEN THE PUMPS INCREASED FROM 750 PSIG TO 787 PSIG. UPON INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT, THE SEAL IN PUMP #2 WAS FOUND TO BE RATED TO 800 PSIG VERSUS THE 1000 PSIG AS DESIGNED. THE SEAL WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED AS IT DID NOT MEET THE SPECIFICATION OF THE DESIGN BY COMPANY ENGINEERS. THE SEAL WAS SUBJECT TO THE HIGHER INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE. THE VENDOR HAD FAILED TO INSTALL THE HIGHER RATED SEAL UPON BUILDING THE PUMP. THE HIGHER SUCTION PRESSURE OF THE #2 PUMP ALONG WITH THE PUMP SEAL FLUSH CIRCUIT FINALLY OVERPRESSURED THE #2 PUMP TANDEM SEAL RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTAINMENT. AS THE INCIDENT BEGAN TO UNFOLD, THE #2 PUMP THRUST-END PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SEALS WERE DAMAGED, RESULTING IN FRICTION AT THE PUMP SHAFT, HEAT AND THE IGNITION SOURCE OF THE FIRE. THE FIRE WAS IMMEDIATE UPON THE SEAL FAILURE.