EXPLORER PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON NOVEMBER 5, 2012 AT 22:37 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST) THE EXPLORER PIPELINE PUMP STATION EXPERIENCED A RELEASE OF 200 BARRELS OF DIESEL FUEL FROM A PUMP IDENTIFIED AS UNIT 3. ALL THE PRODUCT WAS CONTAINED ON THE PROPERTY. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PERSONNEL ARRIVED AT THE PUMP STATION NOVEMBER 6, 2012 AT 03:55 CST TO BEGIN RECOVER AND REMEDIATION OPERATIONS. AT 05:33 CST IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RELEASE WOULD EXCEED $50,000, AT WHICH TIME THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER WAS NOTIFIED AT 07:15AM CST. EXPLORER HAS RECOVERED 156 BARRELS OF FREE PHASE PRODUCT, 417 BARRELS OF WATER FROM VALVE VAULTS INSIDE THE STATION, AND 38 BARRELS OF EMULSION. 720 CUBIC YARDS OF IMPACTED SOIL WAS TESTED FOR PROPER DISPOSED AT A STATE-APPROVED DISPOSAL FACILITY. TWENTY-FIVE POST EXCAVATION SOIL SAMPLES HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO CONFIRM THAT ALL THE RELEASED PRODUCT WAS RECOVERED AND REMOVED. THE MOP FOR THE PUMP SUCTION PRESSURE IS 973 PSIG (ANSI CLASS 400) AND THE PUMP DISCHARGE PRESSURE IS 1,440 PSIG (ANSI CLASS 600). THE DIRECT CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS A THRUST BEARING RETAINING LOCK NUT HAD COME LOOSE ON THE PUMP SHAFT, WHICH ALLOWED THE THRUST OF THE PUMP ROTOR TO PUSH THE SHAFT TOWARDS THE MOTOR. THIS CRUSHED THE SEAL FACES ON ONE OF THE SEALS. MAINTENANCE RECORDS ON THE PUMP INDICATE THAT THE PUMP WAS REMOVED AND TRANSPORTED OFF-SITE FOR A COMPLETE OVERHAUL IN EARLY 2003 BY A LARGE PUMP MANUFACTURE. EXPLORER PIPELINE RETAINED A THIRD-PARTY PUMP EXPERT TO INSPECT THE PUMP AND THEY CONCLUDED THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS THE THRUST BEARING RETAINING NUT AND LOCK WASHER WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY BY THE PUMP MANUFACTURER DURING THE 2003 OVERHAUL. ALL REMEDIATION COSTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE OPERATOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AS INDICATED IN PHMSA INSTRUCTIONS FOR FORM 7000-1 SINCE NO LONG TERM REMEDIATION IS EXPECTED. REPORT WAS SUPPLMENTED TO ACCOUNT FOR QUESTION E5F.