BELLE FOURCHE PIPELINE CO
hazardous_liquid Incident — — February 16, 2013
Incident Information
| Incident Date | February 16, 2013 |
| Operator | BELLE FOURCHE PIPELINE CO |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 44.46084, -105.57661 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | TANK, VESSEL, OR SUMP/SEPARATOR ALLOWED OR CAUSED TO OVERFILL OR OVERFLOW |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $1,200 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
DURING COMMISIONING OF LINE A 2"" VALVE AT THE PIG TRAP LOCATION WAS BEING USED TO VENT AIR FROM THE LINE. A FLAWED CALCULATION RESULTED IN THE VALVE BEING LEFT OPEN BEYOND THE TIME NECESSARY FOR THE OIL TO ARRIVE AT THE LOCATION. APPROXIMATELY 300 BBLS OF CRUDE ESCAPED AND MIGRATED OFF OF THE FACILITY AND INTO THE BARROW DITCH. MUCH OF THE ESCAPED OIL WAS SUCCESSFULLY RECOVERED DUE TO FROZEN GROUND CONDITIONS AND BELLE FOURCHE PIPELINE WORKED WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO CLEAN UP REMAINING RESIDUAL OIL.
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.