EXPLORER PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON APRIL 7, 2013 AT 18:00 HOURS INDICATION OF PRODUCT WAS DETECTED AROUND A REMOTE BLOCK VALVE ON EXPLORERS 24 INCH SYSTEM DURING A BLOCK VALVE INSPECTION. THE OBSERVATION WAS REPORTED TO EXPLORER AND THE PIPELINE WAS SHUTDOWN TO ALLOW FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THE PIPELINE WAS EXPOSED AND THE SOURCE WAS IDENTIFIED AS VALVE PACKING. AFTER THE VALVE WAS REPACKED AND THE VALVE WAS REINSPECTED, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE BONNET WOULD BECAME WET WITH A FEW DROPS OF PRODUCT WHEN THE PIPELINE WAS OPERATING AT STANDARD MAINLINE PRESSURE. THE PIPELINE WAS SHUT DOWN TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE. THE LINE FILL AT THE LOCATION WAS GASOLINE. TO SAFELY GAIN ACCESS TO THE BONNET O-RING EXPLORER RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM PHMSA TO OPERATE AT A REDUCED PRESSURE WHERE THE BONNET DID NOT DRIP TO DISPLACE THE GASOLINE. ONCE THE DISTILLATE WAS IN PLACE, THE BONNET O-RING WAS REPLACED. NO VISIBLE DEFECTS WERE OBSERVED ON THE O-RING THAT WAS REMOVED. HOWEVER, IT WAS SUBMITTED TO A THIRD-PARTY FOR A FAILURE ANALYSIS. THE FINAL FAILURE ANALYSIS INDICATED NO FAILURE OF ANY JOINED ENDS. THE FAILURE ANALYSIS INDICATED THE LEAKING OF THE SEAL MOST LIKELY IS A RESULT OF PARTICULATE EMBEDMENT ON SEALING SURFACES COMBINED WITH AN OVERALL LACK OF ELASTICITY OF THE VITON RUBBER. ANY PETROLEUM IMPACTED SOIL IS BEING TESTED AND IS PROPERLY BEING MANAGED TO ESTABLISHED ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS. THE SHUTDOWN DATE AND TIME IN PART A OF THE 7000-1 REPORT INDICATES THE INITIAL TIME THE PIPELINE WAS SHUT DOWN UNTIL THE VALVE WAS REPAIRED AND THE PIPELINE WAS PLACED BACK IN SERVICE. THE ORIGINAL NRC NOTIFICATION WAS SUBMITTED TO THE NRC ON APRIL 9, 2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 13:08 CST, ALTHOUGH NO NRC CONFIRMATION RECEIVED. PHMSA WAS IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED AFTER THE NRC NOTIFICATION ON APRIL 9, 2013. NRC SUBMITTAL WAS MADE WHEN COSTS WERE EXPECTED TO MEET OR EXCEED $50,000.