UNOCAL PIPELINE CO - EASTERN REGION
hazardous_liquid Incident — — December 6, 2011
Incident Information
| Incident Date | December 6, 2011 |
| Operator | UNOCAL PIPELINE CO - EASTERN REGION |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 29.99480, -93.98530 |
Cause
| Cause | MATERIAL FAILURE OF PIPE OR WELD |
| Subcause | DESIGN-, CONSTRUCTION-, INSTALLATION-, OR FABRICATION-RELATED |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $26,500 |
| Emergency Response | $17,221 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
AT APPROXIMATELY 2330 CST ON 06DEC11, PERSONNEL AT THE BEAUMONT TERMINAL DISCOVERED A RELEASE OF CRUDE FROM THE 24 INCH CARGO LINE DURING AN INTERNAL TANK TRANSFER. THE 24 INCH LINE DEVELOPED A CRACK IN THE ""HEAT AFFECTED ZONE"" OF A FILLET WELD ON A SPLIT TEE. THE TANK TRANSFER WAS COMPLETED THROUGH ALTERNATIVE TANK FARM PIPING AND THE DAMAGED SECTION WAS CUT OUT AND REPLACED. THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED ON 12-10-11. A DISCHARGE CONTROL VALVE WAS INSTALLED JUST DOWNSTREAM OF THE PUMP THAT WAS USED FOR THIS TRANSFER, TO LIMIT THE SURGE EFFECTS AND VIBRATION OF PUMP START-UP. THE PUMP NOW STARTS AGAINST A CLOSED CONTROL VALVE WHICH GRADUALLY OPENS TO THE SET LIMITS, REDUCING SURGE AND VIBRATIONS.
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.