EXPLORER PIPELINE CO
hazardous_liquid Incident — — April 23, 2013
Incident Information
| Incident Date | April 23, 2013 |
| Operator | EXPLORER PIPELINE CO |
| Commodity | REFINED AND/OR PETROLEUM PRODUCT (NON-HVL) WHICH IS A LIQUID |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 35.97916, -96.00825 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | EQUIPMENT NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $620,000 |
| Emergency Response | $18,000 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"ON APRIL 23, 2013 DURING A STATION INSPECTION AN EXPLORER EMPLOYEE IDENTIFIED A FEW GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL AROUND TANK 350 AT THE GLENPOOL TANK FARM. THE PRODUCT WAS TRANSFERRED FROM THE TANK AND THE TANK WAS CLEANED TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL SOURCE. ENGINEERING ESTIMATED THE COST FOR THE CLEANING AND REPAIR WOULD MEET OR EXCEED $50,000 DOLLARS WHICH IMMEDIATELY PROMPTED THE NRC NOTIFICATION. A TOTAL OF 10 GALLONS OR .28 BARRELS OF PRODUCT WAS LOST BASED ON SOIL SAMPLES. THE ESTIMATED PRESSURE AT THE POINT AND TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CALCULATED TO BE 16.1 PSI OF STATIC HEAD WITH 40 FEET OF DIESEL. THE MAXIMUM OPERATING PRESSURE AT THE POINT AND TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS LISTED AS 0 PSI SINCE THIS IS A FIXED ROOF ATMOSPHERIC STORAGE TANK. THE DIRECT CAUSE OF THE RELEASE FROM THE TANK WAS A 0.75- INCH CRACK TO THE 3/8 INCH THICK DOLLAR PLATE WHERE THE DIFFUSER BRACKET IS WELDED TO THE DOLLAR PLATE. THIS IS THE FIRST DOLLAR PLATE INCIDENT ON EXPLORER PIPELINES SYSTEM. EXPLORER HAS MODIFIED ITS PROCEDURES AND ADDED AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF SAFETY TO ITS PROCEDURES WITH DOLLAR PLATES AND DIFFUSERS. THE COST TO RESPOND AND RETURN THE TANK TO SERVICE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2014 IS ESTIMATED TO BE $638,140."
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.