BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 19:28 ON 3/1/2015, A BUCKEYE OPERATOR AT THE LINDEN FACILITY WAS LOOKING OUT THE BACK DOOR OF THE OPERATIONS BUILDING AND NOTICED THE 607 BOOSTER PUMP WAS ON FIRE. LOCAL BUCKEYE OPERATIONS IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE STATION, USING AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN DEVICE, AND CALLED THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE LINDEN OPERATIONS MANAGER WAS NOTIFIED AT 19:40. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY LOCAL BUCKEYE OPERATIONS PERSONNEL PRIOR TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVING. THE FIRE WAS ISOLATED TO THE SHAFT AREA OF THE PUMP. WE CANNOT QUANTIFY THE AMOUNT OF PRODUCT (JET FUEL) RELEASED. THE PRODUCT WAS CONSUMED BY THE FIRE AS IT WAS RELEASED, AND NO PRODUCT IMPACTED THE GROUND. ALL REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED, AND NO REMEDIATION WAS NECESSARY. AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS BEGUN. UPDATE 3/10/2016 MISALIGNMENT OF THE PUMP AND MOTOR CAUSED WEAR OF THE ROTATING SHAFT. THIS SHAFT DEFLECTION CAUSED RUBBING ON THE ATMOSPHERIC SIDE OF THE MECHANICAL SEAL, WHICH EVENTUALLY CAUSED THE MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE SEAL FACE, ALLOWING PRODUCT TO ESCAPE TO ATMOSPHERE, WHERE IT IGNITED DUE TO THE IGNITION SOURCE OF THE HOT SHAFT.