CHEVRON PIPE LINE CO

Incident Narrative

"THE #21-8 AND #3-8 PIPELINES WERE SHUT DOWN BASED ON A REPORT FROM A CITY INSPECTOR INDICATING THAT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL ELECTRICAL JUNCTION VAULT SMELLED LIKE GASOLINE WHEN ONE OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES OPENED IT. THE ELECTRICAL VAULT IS LOCATED ON THE NORTH EAST CORNER OF GRAMERCY PLACE AND WEST ROSECRANS AVENUE. CPL INITIALLY DISPATCHED TWO EMPLOYEES TO THE SITE TO INSPECT THE CONCRETE ELECTRICAL VAULT (THE #21-8 AND #3-8 PIPELINES ARE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE VAULT). THE BOTTOM OF THE VAULT HAD 'WET OR DAMP' DIRT AND GRAVEL. THE AFOREMENTIONED PIPELINES REMAINED SHUTDOWN WHILE CPL CREWS BEGAN A PROCESS OF STRATEGICALLY ""POTHOLING"" AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, TAKING LEL READINGS AT THESE SITES, AND FURTHER EXCAVATING IN AN EFFORT TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE RELEASE. IN ADDITION TO THESE EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN AT THE SITE; PREVIOUS SMART-PIGGING DATA AND PIPELINE LOSS/GAIN TRENDS WERE REVIEWED, AND HISTORICAL RECORDS WERE EXAMINED. ONCE A SUSPECT SECTION OF PIPE WAS COMPLETELY UNCOVERED, A PORTABLE TEST PUMP WAS BROUGHT IN AND CONNECTED TO THE #21-8 PIPELINE AT THE EL SEGUNDO REFINERY (ESR) SOUTH MANIFOLD. THE BLOCK VALVE AT CRENSHAW JUNCTION WAS OPENED AND THE PUMP WAS USED TO RAISE THE PRESSURE OF THE LINE, FROM ESR TO COMPTON JUNCTION, UP TO APPROXIMATELY 160 PSI. THE TEST PRESSURE SLOWLY DROPPED OVER TIME UNTIL A CLOSER EXAMINATION OF THE SUSPECT SECTION OF PIPE IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK. ONCE THE POINT OF RELEASE WAS ACCURATELY DETERMINED, A TEMPORARY CLAMP WAS PLACED OVER THE CRACK AND THE PIPELINE WAS DISPLACED, FROM THE EL SEGUNDO REFINERY TO L.A. RIVER JUNCTION, WITH NITROGEN. ONCE THE NITROGEN WAS EVACUATED FROM THE PIPELINE, THE DEFECTIVE PIPE WAS CUT OUT AND REPLACED WITH NEW HYDROTESTED PIPE. 100% X-RAY WAS SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED ON THE WELDS BEFORE THE PIPELINE WAS AGAIN FILLED BY PUSHING A PIG WITH DIESEL FUEL. THE LINE WAS RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATIONS ONCE THE PIG WAS RETRIEVED AT THE DELIVERY END AND ANY RESIDUAL GASES WERE REMOVED."