DCP MIDSTREAM

Incident Narrative

ON MAY 29 2013, AT (7:58AM CDST), DCP MIDSTREAM'S HOUSTON CONTROL CENTER (HCC) RECORDED AND RESPONDED TO ACTIVATION OF THE GAS DETECTOR ALARM, HAZARDOUS GAS ALARM AND MAIN BREAKER OPEN INDICATION AT THE DCP WATTENBERG PUMP STATION. THE HCC OPERATOR IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DCP FIELD TECHNICIAN TO INFORM THEM OF THE ALARMS. THE FIELD TECHNICIAN INSTRUCTED THE HCC CONTROLLER TO ENSURE THAT THE STATION WAS SHUT-DOWN AND ISOLATED. A SECOND FIELD TECHNICIAN ARRIVED ON SITE (AT 7:01 AM MDST), AND THEY OBSERVED A VAPOR RELEASE COMING FROM A FLANGED CONNECTION. THE TECHNICIANS IMMEDIATELY ENSURED THE STATION ISOLATION VALVES WERE FULLY SEATED AND WAITED FOR THE PIPE SECTION TO HAVE A CONTROLLED RELEASE BEFORE ENTERING THE SITE OF THE FLANGED CONNECTION. THE DCP TECHNICIAN WAS ABLE TO RELEASE THE REMAINDER OF THE PRODUCT THROUGH A FLARE. THE SCRAPER LAUNCHER WAS ISOLATED AND THE RELEASE CONTAINED BY( 7:15AM MDST.) AFTER THE STATION HAD BEEN SECURED, THE DCP TECHNICIANS REMOVED THE FAILED COMPONENT. DURING THAT PROCESS THEY OBSERVED TWO OF THE FLANGE BOLTS ON THE WERE NOT ADEQUATELY TORQUED. THE FAILED COMPONENT WAS AN ANSI 6"" 900 SERIES NEOPRENE COATED PHENOLIC CP ISOLATION GASKET, THE GASKET WAS BROKEN IN TWO LOCATIONS (APPROXIMATELY 10 AND 2 OCLOCK).