EXPLORER PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

SEVENTY-FIVE GALLONS OF FREE-PHASE JET FUEL WAS IDENTIFIED NEXT TO A STORAGE TANK AT EXPLORER PIPELINES PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS TANK FARM. THE RELEASE WAS COMPLETELY CONTAINED INSIDE THE TANK DIKE. THE CONTENTS OF THE TANK WERE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER TANK TO ALLOW THE TANK TO BE CLEANED AND INSPECTED. FOLLOWING CLEANING THE TANK, THE TANK VALVE WAS REMOVED AND INSPECTED, A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE TANK FLOOR WAS COMPLETED, A VACUUM BOX TEST WAS COMPLETED, A HELIUM TEST THAT INCLUDED PROBING UNDER THE TANK THROUGH THE HELIUM TEST PORTS WAS COMPLETED, AS WELL AS A MAGNETIC PARTICLE TESTING OF THE CORNER WELDS AND THE DOLLAR PLATE WAS COMPLETED. IN ADDITION, A GUIDED WAVE TEST OF THE ENTIRE SUCTION AND FILL LINE AS WELL AS A HYDROSTATIC TEST OF THE SUCTION AND FILL LINE UNDER THE TANK AND TO THE MANIFOLD WAS COMPLETED. HOWEVER, NONE OF THE TESTS HAVE IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE OF THE PRODUCT THAT WAS LOCATED BY THE TANK. A MAY 30, 2012 METALLURGICAL REPORT FROM ANDERSON AND ASSOCIATES CONCLUDED CORROSION FATIGUE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TANK FLOOR SURFACE OF THE TANK JUST INSIDE THE HEAT AFFECTED ZONE OF THE CORNER WELD WAS THE SOURCE. THE COSTS FOR THE TANK CLEANING, ALL THE TESTING OF THE TANK AND LINES AND THE COSTS TO REPLACE THE SKETCH PLATE ON THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TANK ARE LISTED IN THE PART D OF THE REPORT. THE MOP AT THE POINT AND TIME OF THE ACCIDENT IS ASSUMED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A ANSI CLASS 150 SYSTEM INSIDE THE TERMINAL AND IS LISTED AS 275 PSI. THE ESTIMATED PRESSURE AT THE POINT AND TIME IS ASSUMING 12 PSI OF HEAD PRESSURE FROM A TANK. FORM SUPPLEMENTED TO ACCOUNT FOR QUESTION E.F.5.