ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS OPERATING LLC

Incident Narrative

AT 1718 HRS ON 8/31/2012 HOUSTON CONTROL CENTER RECEIVED A SEAL FAIL AND FIRE ALARM AT CHEEK PUMP STATION ON PUMP 1801. THESE ALARMS CAUSED THE STATION TO GO INTO A ESD CONDITION,THE PUMP SHUT DOWN AND THE SUCTION AND DISCHARGE VALVES CLOSED AUTOMATICALLY. THE CONTROLLER NOTIFIED BEAUMONT OPERATIONS AND SUPERVISION. A TECHNICIAN WAS DISPATHCHED TO THE SITE AND ON ARRIVAL FOUND FIRE AROUND THE SEAL AREA OF THE PUMP. BEAUMONT AREA SUPERVISION AND SAFETY RESPONDED ALONG WITH SEVERAL TECHNICIANS AND THE LOCAL FIRE DEPT. THE CONTROLLER HAD ALREADY SHUT DOWN THE DELIVERY SOURCE AND CONTINIUED TO RUN PUMPS DOWNSTREAM OF THE STATION UNTIL THEY WENT DOWN ON SUCTION TO MINIMIZE PIPELINE PRESSSURE. ONCE THE PIPELINE WAS DOWN TECHNICIANS CLOSED THE NEAREST UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM MAINLINE BLOCK VALVES. IT WAS DETERMINED TO LET THE FIRE BURN UNTIL MINIMUM PRESSURE WAS ACHEIVED ON THE PUMP. ONCE THE PRESSURE WAS AT IT'S LOWEST POINT OPERATIONS CONNECTED A FLARE TO THE DOWNSTREAM STATION PIPING AND INTRODUCED NITROGEN TO THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF THE PUMP UNTIL ALL THE PRODUCT WAS DISPLACED TO THE FLARE WITH N2. THE PUMP WAS ISOLATED (AIR GAPPED) FROM THE STATION PIPING. THE MOTOR AND PUMP WERE THEN REMOVED AND SENT IN FOR REPAIR. THE STATION WAS PRESSURED UP TO MAINLINE PRESSURE AND RETURNED TO SERVICE AT 1530 HRS ON 9/1/2012. THE SPARE PUMP AND MOTOR WAS STARTED AT 2122 HRS ON 9/1/2012. THE PUMP 1801 HAS BEEN SENT TO THE SHOP FOR INSPECTION AND WORK IF NEED. CAUSE OF FIRE WAS DUE TO LACK OF SEAL LUBRICATION. IMPROVED PIPING TO LUBRICATE SEAL PROPERLY.