COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

AT 17:30 ON 24 OCTOBER 2014 AN EMPLOYEE DISCOVERED PRODUCT IN AN ACCESS WELL NEAR THE LINE 2 PROVER AT LAKE CHARLES STATION. THE STATION WAS NOT INJECTING OR ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE DISCOVERY. INTERNAL NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE AND THE PROVER WAS DRAINED AND ISOLATED. COLONIAL PERSONNEL AND A CONTRACT CREW RESPONDED AND BEGAN INVESTIGATING THE AREA AROUND THE ACCESS WELL. THE SOURCE OF THE RELEASE WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE PROVER CLOSURE, WHICH IS LOCATED ABOVE GROUND IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCESS WELL WHERE THE PRODUCT WAS DISCOVERED. THE CLOSURE WAS TIGHTENED AND PRESSURE TESTED TO ENSURE A POSITIVE SEAL. ALL SITE WORK INCLUDING EXCAVATION AND CLEANUP WERE COMPLETED BY 28 OCTOBER 2014. NO IMMEDIATE AGENCY NOTIFICATIONS WERE REQUIRED BASED ON THE VOLUME OF THE RELEASE. INCIDENT ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT ON TUESDAY, 10/21/14, THE PROVER HAD BEEN ISOLATED AND DRAINED FOR A CUP INSPECTION. THE PROVER HAS A THREADED CLOSURE WHICH REQUIRES THE USE OF A SLEDGEHAMMER AND HYDRAULIC JACK TO CLOSE COMPLETELY. UPON COMPLETION OF THE INSPECTION, THE PROVER WAS NOT COMPLETELY SEALED AND LEAK TESTED. TWO TECHNICIANS USED THEIR BODY WEIGHT ON THE CLOSURE BUT DID NOT USE THE SLEDGEHAMMER AND JACK. THE PLAN WAS TO LEAVE THE PROVER ISOLATED AND DRAINED, THEN REPLACE THE CUPS TWO DAYS LATER. THE DECISION TO LEAVE THE CLOSURE IN THAT CONDITION WAS BASED ON PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THE VALVES HOLDING FOR 2-3 DAYS AT A TIME WITH NO PRODUCT ACCUMULATING IN THE PROVER. WORK PRIORITIES CHANGED AND THE PROVER REPAIR WAS RESCHEDULED FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK. THE PROVER EVENTUALLY REFILLED OVER TIME AND THE RELEASE FROM THE CLOSURE WAS DISCOVERED AND ADDRESSED ON FRIDAY EVENING 10/24/14.