KINDER MORGAN COCHIN LLC

Incident Narrative

DURING THE PROCESS OF REPAIRING A BUTT WELD ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROJECT, AN INSTANTANEOUS FLASH OCCURRED WHEN A WELDER STARTED A ROOT BEAD. THE FLASH SELF-EXTINGUISHED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INITIAL EVENT. POST EVENT NO ADDITIONAL FLAMMABLE VAPORS COULD BE DETECTED. AIR MOVERS WERE INSTALLED TO MAINTAIN THE AREA CLEAR OF ANY POTENTIAL FLAMMABLE VAPORS AND THE WELD REPAIR WAS COMPLETED. THIS CHANGE WAS NOT SUBMITTED TO THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AND THE CONTRACTOR'S FOREMAN FOR REVIEW BEFORE THE UNPLANNED WELD REPAIR TASK PROCEEDED. NOTES ABOUT SPECIFIC REPORT DATA: 1.) PART A, ITEM 9, ESTIMATED VOLUME OF COMMODITY RELEASED UNINTENTIONALLY (BARRELS): A ""0"" (ZERO) IS ENTERED WITHIN PHMSA'S ONLINE FORM FOR PART A, LINE 9. PHMSA SYSTEM DOES NOT SHOW A ZERO IN THE FINAL PUBLISHED DOCUMENT. THE SMALLEST ONE DIGIT INCREMENT OF 0.10 BARRELS (4.2 GALLONS) ALLOWED BY PHMSA'S SYSTEM IS EXTREMELY GREATER THAN THE NEGLIGIBLE VAPOR AMOUNT WE ESTIMATED. THE FLASH EVENT NOT THE QUANTITY OF VAPORS RELEASED IS WHAT MADE THIS EVENT REPORTABLE. ZEROES WERE ENTERED FOR PART A, ITEMS 10 & 11. 2.) PART D, ITEM 8, ESTIMATED PROPERTY DAMAGE: KM DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY COST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS EVENT. THERE WERE NO DAMAGES OR EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS EVENT AND THE VAPORS THAT FLASHED WERE NOT FROM RAW PRODUCT AS THIS SECTION HAD BEEN PURGED WITH NITROGEN PRIOR TO STARTING OR PROJECT AND OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE DURING THE INITIAL CHECK VALVE CUTOUT. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE EVENT NO EMERGENCY RESPONSE ORGANIZATION WERE NOT CALLED UPON FOR SUPPORT NOR WAS THERE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION REQUIRED.