BELLE FOURCHE PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

CONTRACTOR INSTALLING WATER AND SEWER LINES TO KLD TRUCKING FACILITY STRUCK MARKED GATHERING LINE COMPROMISING IT AND SPILLING CRUDE INTO THE BELL HOLE/DITCH IN WHICH THE CONTRACTOR WAS WORKING. CONTRACTOR ORIGINALLY CALLED ONE-CALL ON 10/14 AND BELLE FOURCHE PIPELINE LOCATED WITH PIN FLAGS THE LOCATION OF THE FACILITY. BELLE FOURCHE ASKED TO BE ON SITE DURING EXCAVATION AND ASKED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS FOR A MEET TIME. CONTRACTOR DID NOT RESPOND AND DID NOT BEGIN DIGGING UNTIL AFTER THE INITIAL LOCATE REQUEST HAD EXPIRED. ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13TH, WHILE DIGGING TO INSTALL SEWER LINES, CONTRACTOR COMPROMISED THE BELLE FOURCHE OIL GATHERING PIPELINE SPILLING ABOUT 200 BARRELS OF CRUDE INTO DITCH AND CONTAMINATING SURROUNDING SOILS. AN UPDATE EXCAVATION NOTICE WAS NOT EXECUTED UNTIL NOVEMBER 16TH (TICKET #11155260). STRIKE OCCURED AT APPROXIMATELY 8:00 A.M. ON NOVEMBER 13TH AND BELLE FOURCHE HAD EMPLOYEES ON THE SCENE AROUND 8:45. LINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND REPAIRED BY CUTTING OUT A SEGMENT AND WELDING IN NEW PIPE. ON NOVEMBER 14TH AT APPROXIMATELY 4:00 P.M. BELLE FOURCHE RESTARTED THE PIPELINE.