EXXONMOBIL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON TUESDAY, 10/16 AT 2:58P, EMPCO WAS NOTIFIED BY AN OIL PRODUCTION OPERATOR THAT A SHEEN WAS OBSERVED BY THEIR AERIAL PATROL NEAR EMPCO PIPELINES. AS A PRECAUTION, EMPCO IMMEDIATELY SHUT-DOWN THE EMPIRE PIPELINE AND MADE AGENCY NOTIFICATION OF UNCONFIRMED AND UNDETERMINED SHEEN SOURCE (A NEARBY AND PARALLEL GRAND ISLE SEGMENT HAD BEEN IDLE FOR SEVERAL HOURS DUE TO SHIPPING SCHEDULE). EMPCO DEPLOYED A TECHNICIAN BY VESSEL TO INVESTIGATE THE REPORT AND CONFIRM LOCATION OF THE SHEEN AND EMPCO PIPELINES. THE ESTIMATED SHEEN SIZE WAS CONFIRMED TO BE 7 YDS X 100 YDS (0.143 GALLONS OR 0.003 BARRELS). WITH A RAINBOW COLOR AND NO RECOVERABLE OIL FILM THICKNESS. A SINGLE POINT SOURCE FOR THE SHEEN WAS DISCOVERED WHERE PERIODIC FISH EYES WERE OBSERVED, RISING TO THE SURFACE VERY NEAR THE EMPCO PIPELINE. THE LOCATION WAS FLAGGED. AN EMPCO VESSEL DEPLOYED 300 FT. (~100 FT DIA.) SORBENT BOOM AROUND THE POINT SOURCE AND ENGAGED THE EMPCO CONTRACT OIL SPILL RESPONSE ORGANIZATION (OSRO). AS CONTINGENCY, THE OSRO DEPLOYED AN ADDITIONAL HARD BOOM AROUND THE SORBENT BOOM ENCIRCLEMENT. A DIVING CREW VESSEL WAS DEPLOYED TO EXCAVATE THE BURIED PIPELINE BY WATER JET, INVESTIGATE FOR PIPE DAMAGE AND MAKE REPAIRS, AS NEEDED. THE DIVERS DISCOVERED THE THE EMPCO PIPELINE HAD BEEN DAMAGED (STRUCK) BY SOME OUTSIDE FOURCE - POSSIBLE SPUD BARGE, LIFT BOAT OR ANCHOR. THE DIVING CREW COMPLETED A PERMANENT PIPELINE CLAMP REPAIR AND THE PIPELINE WAS RETURNED TO OPERATION ON FRIDAY, 10/19/12.