PHILLIPS 66 PIPELINE LLC

Incident Narrative

SPILL CAUSED BY COLEX#1 EVACUATION PUMP SEAL FAILURE. APPROXIMATELY 0.5BBLS LEAKED ONTO ROCK/GRAVEL IN PASADENA'S TRANSFER HEADER AREA WHILE PERFORMING VALVE LINE-UP FOR PRODUCT DELIVERY. THE EVACUATION PUMP WAS NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME OF SEAL FAILURE. OPERATOR DISCOVERED SEAL LEAK WHILE VERIFYING DELIVERY PIPING'S VALVE LINE-UP. TERMINAL PERSONNEL SECURED AREA BY ISOLATING AND DEPRESSURIZING COLEX#1'S EVACUATION PUMP. THE PUMP SEAL STOPPED LEAKING ONCE THE PUMP AND PIPING WERE SECURED. THE PASADENA COLEX #1 EVACUATION PUMP IS NOT A MAINLINE PUMP AND IS USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR EVACUATING THE COLEX #1 PUMP AND ASSOCIATED PIPING FOR SERVICE OR MAINTENANCE. DUE TO THE INFREQUENT USE AND POTENTIAL FOR SEAL FAILURES, THE PUMP WAS NOT REPAIRED AND WILL NOT BE PLACED BACK INTO SERVICE AT THIS TIME. OVERALL, PHILLIPS 66 TRACKS MECHANICAL SEAL FAILURES IN OUR SAP DATABASE AND THE MANUFACTURER PERFORMS A SEAL FAILURE REPORT FOR EVERY SEAL THAT COMES IN FOR REPAIR TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE BEFORE THE MECHANICAL SEALS ARE RETURNED FOR INSTALLATION. THIS PUMP SEAL WAS NOT ANALYZED FOR FAILURE CAUSE SINCE THE PUMP WILL NOT BE REPAIRED. ON OUR LARGER MECHANICAL SEALS IN MAINLINE PIPELINE APPLICATIONS WE HAVE SEAL FAILURE TRANSMITTERS OR SWITCHES WHICH PROVIDE INDICATION AND SHUT THE PUMP DOWN IN THE EVENT OF A SEAL FAILURE. ADDITIONALLY WE ALSO HAVE VIBRATION ANALYSIS TO MONITOR THE HEALTH OF THE PUMPS FOR CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT THE LIFE OF THE MECHANICAL SEAL.