WEST SHORE PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

AT 11:02 AM ON NOVEMBER 17, 2011 A RELEASE WAS IDENTIFIED BY A THIRD PARTY AT THE 130TH STREET BLOCK VALVE SITE IN CHICAGO, IL. DIESEL FUEL WAS RELEASED AS A RESULT OF A CRACK IN A WELD ON A PIPELINE SLEEVE. THE THIRD PARTY IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE BUCKEYE PARTNERS CONTROL CENTER. THE LINE WAS ISOLATED AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES WERE INITIATED. ALL APPROPRIATE NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE. APPROXIMATELY 700 GALLONS OF ULTRA LOW SULFUR DIESEL WERE RELEASED, AND 700 GALLONS WERE RECOVERED. IMPACTED SOIL WAS REMOVED AND NO FURTHER REMEDIATION IS NEEDED. THE LINE HAS BEEN REPAIRED AND IS BACK IN SERVICE. THE REMOVED PIPE HAS BEEN SENT TO A LABORATORY FOR METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. UPDATE AN INADVERTANT TAPPING OF THE SLEEVE WAS THE PRIMARY BASIC CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MAKE-UP OF THE TAP WAS SUCH THAT IT ALLOWED THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE SLEEVE AND THE PIPE TO BE PRESSURIZED, WHICH RESULTED IN THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE LAP FILLET WELD AT THE SLEEVE. UPDATE *UPDATED PART C, 3. ITEM INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT TO 'WELD, INCLUDING HEAT AFFECTED ZONE - FILLET WELD' *UPDATED PART E, 5F, TO >20% SMYS REGULATED TRUNKLINE/TRANSMISSION *UPDATED PART G. CHANGED CAUSE TO G5 - MATERIAL FAILURE OF PIPE OR WELD UPDATE * CORRECTED PART E, 5F, TO >20% SMYS REGULATED TRUNKLINE/TRANSMISSION * PIPE SPECS CANNOT BE ADDED TO PART C 3 WITHOUT CHANGING 'ITEM INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT'. ITEM INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT IS STILL LISTED CORRECTLY. PIPE SPECS ARE AS FOLLOWS: 3A. NOMINAL DIAMETER OF PIPE (IN): 12"" 3B. WALL THICKNESS (IN): 0.312 3C. SMYS (SPECIFIED MINIMUM YIELD STRENGTH) OF PIPE (PSI): 42,000 3D. PIPE SPECIFICATION: API 5L X42 3E. PIPE SEAM, SPECIFY: EFW - ELECTRIC FLASH WELDED 3F. PIPE MANUFACTURER: A.O. SMITH 3G. YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: 1954 3H. PIPELINE COATING TYPE AT POINT OF ACCIDENT, SPECIFY: 1/2"" SOMASTIC/ASPHALT