EXPLORER PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON NOVEMBER 12, 2014 EXPLORER PIPELINE WAS COMPLETING SOME BASIC PUNCH LIST TASKS AT THE NEW HEARNE JUNCTION IN ROBERTSON COUNTY, TEXAS. A DOCUMENTED PRE-JOB MEETING WAS HELD WITH ALL THE PERSONNEL THAT OUTLINED THE TASKS TO BE COMPLETED ON NOVEMBER 12 IN PREPARATION FOR MORE DETAILED WORK ON NOVEMBER 14 WHEN THE PIPELINE WAS SCHEDULED TO BE SHUTDOWN. NONE OF THE DOCUMENTED PUNCH LIST TASKS COVERED IN THE NOVEMBER 12 MEETING INVOLVED ANY WORK WITH THE LAUNCHER DRAIN VALVE OR THE DRAIN VALVE PLUG. HOWEVER, AN OPERATOR QUALIFIED CONTRACTOR ELECTED TO REMOVE A ONE-HALF IN PLUG FROM A DRAIN VALVE THAT WAS NOT TO HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED UNTIL NOVEMBER 14. A RELEASE FROM THE VALVE WAS EXPERIENCED WHEN THE PLUG WAS REMOVED. THE PIPELINE WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUTDOWN AND RESPONSE EFFORTS WERE IMPLEMENTED. FREE-PHASE PRODUCT WAS RECOVERED AND ANY IMPACTED SOIL WAS EXCAVATED AND TESTED FOR PROPER MANAGEMENT. INTERVIEWS WITH ALL PARTIES INVOLVED, INCLUDING THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY, WERE CONDUCTED TO ASCERTAIN WHY THE CONTRACTOR FAILED TO FOLLOW CORRECT OPERATIONS OUTLINED AND DOCUMENTED IN THE PRE-JOB FOR NOVEMBER 12. THE INVESTIGATION CONFIRMED THE DIRECT CAUSE WAS THE CONTRACTOR WENT OUTSIDE THE CORRECT OPERATIONS DEFINED SCOPE OF WORK IN THE PRE-JOB AND ELECTED TO REMOVE THE PLUG.