SHELL PIPELINE CO., L.P.

Incident Narrative

ETHYLENE PUMP STATION UNIT #2 OUTBOARD SEAL FAILED IMMEDIATELY UPON STARTING THE UNIT. THE CONTROL OF THE PUMP STATION WAS WITH THE LOCAL OPERATIONS PERSONNEL. THE PUMP UNIT #2 HAD NOT BEEN RUN SINCE MAY 2012. THE PUMP SEAL HAD BEEN REPLACED. THE PUMP UNIT #2 WAS STARTED AND IMMEDIATELY THE OPERATOR HEARD AN ABNORMAL SOUND. OPERATOR LOOKED AND SAW THE PUMP WAS ON FIRE. OPERATOR IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE UNIT AND BEGAN ISOLATION OF THE PUMP STATION FROM THE MAINLINE PIPELINE. NOTIFIED THE CONTROL CENTER WHO SHUT DOWN THE MAINLINE PIPELINE AS A PRECAUTION AND ISOLATED BY CLOSING THE MAINLINE VALVES. LOCAL FIRE RESPONSE WAS ACTIVATED THROUGH 911, ALONG WITH CONTRACT FIRE RESPONSE PERSONNEL. THE FIRE WAS ALLOWED TO BURN OFF IN A CONTROLLED PROCESS. NO INJURIES TO ANY PERSONNEL OR RESPONDERS. THE STATION WAS ISOLATED AND THE MAINLINE BLOCK VALVES WERE OPENED AND OPERATED WITHOUT THE PUMP STATION. THE PUMP UNIT WAS REMOVED AND SENT OT THE MANUFACTURER FOR INSPECTION OF THE PUMP SEAL AND OVERALL PUMP INSPECTION. IT WAS DETERMINED THROUGH THE PUMP INSPECTION THAT THE SEAL HAD MOVED ALONG THE PUMP SHAFT, AT THE COLAR, ALLOWING CONTACT WITH THE SEAL FACES. WHEN THE PUMP UNIT STARTED THE SEAL IMMEDIATELY FAILED. AN EFFORT IS IN PLACE WITH THE PUMP AND SEAL MANUFACTURER TO RE-DESIGN THE PUMP SEALS FOR THIS STYLE OF PUMP IN ETHYLENE SERVICE. 3/13/2013 - UPDATED E5F PER PHMSA REQUEST.