COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 12, 2011 AT 0030 OPERATOR AND TECHNICIAN ARRIVED AT RICHMOND DELIVERY TO PREPARE AND PRESSURE TRAP TO RECEIVE CLEANING PIG ON LINE 27. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE FACILITY, THEY CONTACTED THE CONTROLLER TO INFORM HIM OF TASK TO PERFORM WITH THE TRAP TO RECEIVE PIG. THE TECHNICIAN AND LEAD OPERATOR REVIEWED THE TRAP PROCEDURE, AND THEN TOGETHER PRESSURED UP THE INCOMING AND RECEIVING TRAPS. THE ONE INCH VENT VALVE ON THE RECEIVING TRAP WAS INADVERTENTLY LEFT IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE LEAD OPERATOR AND TECHNICIAN WENT INSIDE OF BUILDING TO OPEN TRAP VALVES TO RECEIVE FLOW FOR PIG TO ARRIVE. BECAUSE OF THE FREEZING WEATHER, THEY DECIDED TO USE THE LUI PANEL INSIDE THE BUILDING TO OPEN TRAP VALVES. WHEN THE INLET AND OUTLET TRAP VALVES WERE OPENED THE PRESSURE ON THE PIPELINE WAS APPROXIMATELY 250PSI. THE PRESSURE WAS IMMEDIATLY RELEASED ON THE DRAIN LINE THROUGH THE VENTED VALVE THAT WAS INADVERTENTLY LEFT OPEN. THE SIGHT GLASS SHATTERED, CAUSING 61-GRADE OIL TO SPRAY ON THE DRAIN SLAB AND ON THE GROUND AROUND THE TRAP. THE LEAD OPERATOR THEN INSTRUCTED TECHNICIAN TO CLOSE TRAP VALVES. THE TRAP VALVES ARE 45 SEC OPERATORS SO IT TOOK THAT LONG FOR VALVES TO CLOSE. BY THE TIME THE VALVES WENT CLOSED APPROXIMATELY 362 GALLONS HAD BEEN RELEASED ON SLAB AND SURROUNDING AREA. THE OPERATOR PLACED THE FACILITY IN A SAFE CONDITION BY ASKING CONTROLLER TO SHUT DOWN LINE 27 TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE AND ENSURE SAFE OPERATION OF TRAP. THE OM WAS NOTIFIED AROUND 0230. WHEN THE OPERATIONS MANAGER ARRIVED AT THE FACILITY AND ASSESSED THE FACILITY, HE CONTACTED THE DIRECTOR OPERATIONS TO INFORM OF THE SPILL AT 0245. NOTIFICATIONS TO STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES WERE MADE AROUND 0330. SIGHT GLASS WAS REPLACED WITH NEW PLEXIGLASS AND LINE OPERATIONS WERE RETURNED TO SERVICE