ENBRIDGE PIPELINES (OZARK) L.L.C.
hazardous_liquid Incident — — September 19, 2011
Incident Information
| Incident Date | September 19, 2011 |
| Operator | ENBRIDGE PIPELINES (OZARK) L.L.C. |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 35.93198, -96.75406 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | NON-THREADED CONNECTION FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON SEPTEMBER 19TH AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 AM LOCAL TIME, AN OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM A 24""' BLIND FLANGE INSTALLED ON VALVE S19 IN MANIFOLD 221 OF THE CUSHING TERMINAL. ONCE THE MAINTENANCE CREW ARRIVED ON SITE FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, THE FLANGE BOLTS WERE TIGHTENED AND THE VALVE WAS HAND CRANKED TO MAKE CERTAIN IT WAS PROPERLY SEALED, WHICH STOPPED THE LEAK. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE VALVE DID NOT SEAL COMPLETELY IN ONE DIRECTION, AND THEREFORE ALLOWED OIL TO WEEP PAST THE BODY AND ACCUMULATE BETWEEN THE VALVE BODY AND THE BLIND. IT IS THOUGHT THAT EITHER THE FLANGE FACES MAY HAVE HAD DEBRIS OR THE PROPER TORQUE WAS NOT APPLIED. THE VALVE WAS ALSO PARTIALLY OPENED TO ELIMINATE POTENTIAL OVERPRESSURE DUE TO THERMAL EXPANSION. THE OIL HAS BEEN CLEANED UP AND THE CONTAMINATED SOIL REMEDIATED.
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.