CHEVRON PIPE LINE CO

Incident Narrative

AT 0616 CDT ON 12 SEP 11 MP 300B (CNAEP) PERSONNEL WERE INVESTIGATING A SHEEN ON THE 10' OIL SALES PIPELINE AND DISCOVERED A RELEASE OF CRUDE OIL TO THE WATERS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE RELEASE SOURCE IS THE ELEPHANT TRUNK/CASON ON A RISER. THE RELEASE CAUSED A 300' BY 150' SHEEN AND RELEASED AN ESTIMATED 3.78 GALLONS. CNAEP NOTIFIED CPL @ 0628 CDT; THE PLATFORM AND FIELD WERE SHUT IN. CPL HAS ARRANGED FOR AN OVERFLIGHT TO ASSESS THE AREA. THE CAUSE OF THE RELEASE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. 21 SEP 11 - DIVERS COMPLETED THE INSTALLATION OF STOPPLE FITTINGS ON THE PIPELINE LOCATED ON THE SEA BED. THE RISER WAS ISOLATED AT THE STOPPLE FITTING AND A PLATFORM VALVE. A 10' SECTION ON PIPE BETWEEN THE STOPPLE FITTINGS WERE REMOVED AND ENDS WERE FLANGED AND CLOSED OFF WITH BLIND FLANGES. SEE ATTACHED DIAGRAM FOR STOPPLE INSTALLATION AND PIPE CUT OUT. 13 JAN 12 - THE EFFECTED AREA WHERE THE PRODUCT RELEASE OCCURED WAS LOCATED IN AN ELEPHANTS TRUNK OR CASON RISER. THE PIPELINE HAS BEEN ISOLATED BY REMOVING A 10 FOOT SUBSEA SECTION OF PIPE BETWEEN THE ELEPHANTS TRUNK AND THE PIPELINE SYSTEM. BLIND FLANGES WERE INSTALLED AS CLOSURES ON BOTH THE ELEPHANT TRUNK AND THE PIPELINE SYSTEM. THE PRODUCT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE EFFECTED PIPELINE LOCATED IN THE ELEPHANTS TRUNK AND DOES NOT POSE ANY THREAT TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL RELEASE. THE PRODUCT FROM MP 300B IS BEING TRANSPORTED THROUGH AN ALTERNATIVE 8"" PIPELINE (SEE ""PROFILE""ATTACHMENT). AT THIS TIME THERE ARE NO PLANS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTED PIPELINE LOCATED IN THE ELEPHANTS TRUNK, DUE TO THE DAMAGE IT MAY CAUSE TO THE OTHER PIPE. PLANS ARE TO ABANDON THE EFFECTED PIPE SECTION IN PLACE LOCATED IN THE ELEPHANTS TRUNK.