PHILLIPS 66 COMPANY - SWEENY REFINERY

Incident Narrative

LINEFLYER REPORTED A POSSIBLE LEAK ON ROW, LANDOWER AND PHILLIPS 66 PERSONNEL FOUND LEAK ON SR-41, RAFFINATE LINE. LINE WAS EXCAVATED AND VERIFIED TO BE SR-41. LINE WAS CLAMPED. PLANS WERE PUT IN PLACE TO REPAIR AND HYDROTEST THE PIPELINE. SUMMARY OF LABORATORY ANALYSIS CONCLUSIONS: THE SUBMITTED PIPE SECTION FAILED IN SERVICE DUE TO CORROSION THAT PERFORATED THE PIPELINE WALL AT THE OD SURFACE. THE MAJORITY OF THE CORROSION PRODUCT WAS FOUND TO CONTAIN VARIOUS IRON OXIDES. EXAMINATION OF THE RECEIVED SAMPLE IDENTIFIED THE LEAK FAILURE TO BE TWO LONGITUDINAL PERFORATIONS CHARACTERISTIC OF SELECTIVE WELD SEAM (ERW) CORROSION NEAR THE 4:16 O'CLOCK POSITION (AS REPORTED BY THE FIELD). IN GENERAL, SELECTIVE SEAM CORROSION IS A LOCALIZED CORROSION ATTACK ALONG THE BOND LINE OF ERW PIPING THAT LEADS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WEDGE SHAPED GROOVE THAT IS OFTEN FILLED WITH CORROSION PRODUCTS. THE MATERIAL AT THE BOND LINE IS ANODIC TO THE SURROUNDING MATERIAL AND THE RESULT IS A V-SHAPED GROOVE WITH THE APEX OF THE V CENTERED ON THE BOND LINE. PER VISUAL EXAMINATION, THE LINE DID NOT SHOW ANY EVIDENCE OF INTERNAL CORROSION. THOUGH THIS WAS NOT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE FAILURE, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR ANY WATER OR CONTAMINANTS IN THE PIPELINE PRODUCT TO DROP OUT AT RELATIVE LOW SPOTS AND EVENTUALLY LEAD TO INTERNAL ISSUES. PRIOR TO 2008, THE LINE WAS OPERATED 3-4 TIMES PER WEEK. SINCE THAT TIME THE LINE HAS ONLY BEEN UTILIZED 3-4 TIMES PER YEAR WITH THE LAST OPERATIONAL DATE BEING 9/8/2014. THE SOURCE OF PRESSURE ON THE LINE IS FROM THE BARGE PUMP, AND TYPICAL OFFLOADING PRESSURES ARE BETWEEN 80-90 PSIG. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THAT EVEN WHEN THE LINE DOES FLOW, DEPOSITS AND WATER BUILD UP MAY NOT BE SWEPT OUT OF THE LOW SPOTS. CORROSION COUPONS WERE INSTALLED IN DECEMBER 2014; HOWEVER, THE COUPONS REQUIRE LONGER PIPELINE FLUID EXPOSURE TIME IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ANY VALUABLE INFORMATION CONCERNING INTERNAL CONDITIONS. THE PIPE MATERIAL MET THE COMPOSITION REQUIREMENTS OF API 5L 10TH EDITION, GRADES A AND B CARBON STEEL. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MATERIAL ANOMALIES OBSERVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE CORRODED AREAS.