CHEVRON U.S.A. INC

Incident Narrative

A SMALL LEAK IN THE 6 O'CLOCK POSITION OF A 2"" WELD-O-LET FITTING CONNECTED TO A FLANGE, BLOCK VALVE AND BLIND FLANGE WAS FOUND ON 9/16/2014 @ 12:45. THIS 2"" WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE 10"" ROMEO TO FOUCHON WET OIL PIPELINE NEAR THE PIG TRAP IN CONTAINMENT, AT A VALVE SITE. LESS THAN A GALLON OF OIL SPILLED AND WAS CLEANED UP BY OPERATORS. THE PIPE THAT WAS FOUND TO HAVE A PINHOLE IN A WELD ON A 2"" DIAMETER BRANCH CONNECTION OFF A 10"" DIAMETER FLANGED SPOOL WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW FLANGED SPOOL. THE BRANCH CONNECTION HAD BEEN BLINDED OFF SOME TIME AGO AND WAS NO LONGER IN SERVICE. SINCE THE BRANCH WAS NO LONGER NEEDED, THE NEW SPOOL WAS BUILT WITHOUT THE 2"" BRANCH CONNECTION. WHEN THE PIN HOLE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED, IT WAS IMMEDIATELY REPAIRED WITH A CLAMP, WHICH COST LESS THAN $50,000. ONCE THE OPS FACILITY ENGINEER WAS INFORMED ON 9/16/2014 @ 13:54 AND HE INITIATED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE LEAK AND REPAIR. THE FACILITY ENGINEER & OPERATIONS TEAM ANALYZED THE SITUATION AND DECIDED THE CLAMP WAS NOT SUFFICIENT ON 9/17/2014 @ 12:30. DUE TO THE FACT THE BRANCH CONNECTION WAS NO LONGER NEEDED THE TEAM DETERMINED THE PIPING SPOOL SHOULD BE REPLACED TO ELIMINATE THE LEAK. SINCE THE COST TO REPAIR THE LEAK WAS NOW GOING TO EXCEED $50,000, THE OPERATOR REPORTED THE LEAK TO NRC ON 9/17/2014 @ 13:36. THE REPLACING OF THE SPOOL ACTUALLY COST $96,000. THE REST OF THIS PIPELINE IN THE FACILITY WAS REVIEWED AND THERE ARE NO OTHER 2"" BRANCH CONNECTIONS ON THIS PIPING IN THIS FACILITY THAT COULD HAVE THIS ISSUE. THE FINAL ACCIDENT REPORT WAS SUBMITTED ONLINE IN THE PHMSA ACCIDENT REPORTING TOOL ON 10/10/2014 @ ~10:30.