ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS OPERATING LLC
hazardous_liquid Incident — — January 26, 2015
Incident Information
| Incident Date | January 26, 2015 |
| Operator | ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS OPERATING LLC |
| Commodity | HVL OR OTHER FLAMMABLE OR TOXIC FLUID WHICH IS A GAS AT AMBI |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 40.36682, -80.58459 |
Cause
| Cause | MATERIAL FAILURE OF PIPE OR WELD |
| Subcause | "DESIGN-, CONSTRUCTION-, INSTALLATION-, OR FABRICATION-RELATED" |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $1,821,591 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $4,800,000 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"AT APPROXIMATELY 9:40 A.M. C.S.T. ON JANUARY 26, 2015, THE ATEX PIPELINE FAILED NEAR FOLLANSBEE, WEST VIRGINIA, RESULTING IN THE RELEASE OF APPROXIMATELY 30,565 BARRELS OF LIQUID ETHANE INTO A WOODED AREA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR IMPACTED WATERWAYS, THOUGH THE EXPLOSION AND RESULTING FIRE BURNED APPROXIMATELY FIVE ACRES OF WOODLANDS. THE FIRE IN THE SURROUNDING AREA WAS EXTINGUISHED AT 7:10 P.M. E.S.T. IN THE EVENING OF JANUARY 27, 2015. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER (#1106602) ON JANUARY 26, 2015, AT 11:38 A.M. METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE PIPE FAILED FROM DUCTILE TENSILE OVERLOAD. THE TWO PRIMARY SOURCES FOR THIS STRAIN ARE BENDING STRESS AND SAG-TENSION FROM PIPE SETTLEMENT. THE PIPELINE WAS REPAIRED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE AT A REDUCED MAXIMUM OPERATING PRESSURE ON FEBRUARY 14, 2015. A REMEDIAL WORK PLAN WAS DEVELOPED AND IS BEING IMPLEMENTED PER AMENDED CORRECTIVE ACTION ORDER (ACAO) CPF 1-2015-5002H. ADDITIONALLY, PERIODIC UPDATES ARE BEING PROVIDED TO PHMSA AS PRESCRIBED BY THE ACAO. ENTERPRISE COMPLETED THE ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED WITHIN THE REMEDIAL WORK PLAN AND SUBMITTED DOCUMENTATION TO PHMSA AS THE FINAL CAO DOCUMENTATION REPORT ON JANUARY 26, 2015. PHMSA APPROVED THE FINAL CAO DOCUMENTATION REPORT ON FEBRUARY 24, 2016 AND CLOSED THE AMENDED CORRECTIVE ACTION ORDER."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.