BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP

Incident Narrative

DURING SCHEDULED DIG ON THE CD803RC PIPELINE, BUCKEYE OPERATIONS PERSONNEL REPORTED THE SMELL OF VAPORS INSIDE THE CASING. THE LINE HAD ALREADY BEEN ISOLATED FOR PURPOSES OF PERFORMING THE DIG. THE LINE WAS FURTHER PRESSURED DOWN AND AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE VAPORS WAS BEGUN. ALL NECESSARY NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE. AN ANOMALY WAS LOCATED 68' INSIDE THE CASING. PRODUCT WAS CONTAINED IN THE CASING AND NO FREE PRODUCT WAS RELEASED TO THE SOIL. PERMANENT REPAIRS, WHICH INCLUDED REPLACING A SECTION OF DAMAGED PIPE, WERE COMPLETED ON OCTOBER 31, 2013 AND THE LINE WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. THE REMOVED SECTION OF PIPE HAS BEEN SENT FOR METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE RELEASE. ALL PRODUCT WAS CLEANED UP AND NO REMEDIATION IS NECESSARY. UPDATE FEBRUARY 12, 2014 - FINAL ANALYSIS DETAILS THE LEAK WAS ATTRIBUTED TO AN ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE THAT CREATED A HOLE IN THE EXTERNAL PIPE WALL. THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF THE HOLE SHOWED EVIDENCE OF SURFACE MELTING. THE SURFACES OF THE HOLE WERE RELATIVELY SMOOTH AND SHINY AND SHOWED NO EVIDENCEOF CORROSION OR CORROSION PRODUCTS. FURTHERMORE, NO EVIDENCE OF CORROSION, MECHANICAL DAMAGE, MANUFACTURING DEFECT, ENVIRONMENTAL CRACKING OR OTHER DEGRADATION MECHANISM WERE FOUND NEAR THE LEAK ORIGIN