PLAINS PIPELINE, L.P.

Incident Narrative

APPROXIMATELY 186 BBLS OF CRUDE OIL WERE RELEASED WHEN AN EXPANSION JOINT, RELATED TO THE 16-INCH SUCTION LINE ON TANK 1 RUPTURED. THE RUPTURE OCCURRED THROUGH A 3.625-INCH OPENING, WITHIN THE TANKS IMPERVIOUS SECONDARY CONTAINMENT AREA. AT THIS TIME, THE CAUSE OF THE RELEASE IS UNDETERMINED. THE EXPANSION JOINT HAS BEEN SENT TO THE LAB FOR ANALYSIS. A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED ONCE THE LAB RESULTS ARE RECEIVED. THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER WAS NOTIFIED ONCE THE ESTIMATED COST WAS DETERMINED TO EXCEED $50,000. NRC ASSIGNED REPORT NUMBER 1071244. SUPPLEMENTAL NARRATIVE: THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS DETERMINED TO BE VALVE MISALIGNMENT DUE TO OPERATOR ERROR. THE SUBSEQUENT EFFECTS CAUSED DUCTILE OVERLOADING OF THE EXPANSION JOINT BELLOWS DUE TO OVERPRESSURE. NO EVIDENCE OF CORROSION, FATIGUE, ENVIRONMENTAL CRACKING, OR ANY OTHER TIME-DEPENDENT FAILURE MECHANISMS WERE OBSERVED. ALSO, NO EVIDENCE OF MATERIAL DEFECTS OR MATERIAL DEFICIENCIES WERE IDENTIFIED THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE. THE OPERATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INCIDENT WAS NOT RETRAINED IN THE OPERATOR-QUALIFIED (OQ) TASK FOR THIS WORK AS THE INDIVIDUAL NO LONGER WORKS FOR THE COMPANY. IN RESPONSE TO THIS RELEASE, PLAINS HAS REINFORCED PROPER VALVE ALIGNMENTS AS WELL AS THE USE OF VALVE DOUBLE-BLOCK PROTECTION WITHIN THIS OPERATING AREA. THE APPARENT CAUSE IN PART G AS WELL AS THE ESTIMATE PROPERTY DAMAGE IN PART D WERE ALSO UPDATED.