ENTERPRISE CRUDE PIPELINE LLC
hazardous_liquid Incident — — May 17, 2012
Incident Information
| Incident Date | May 17, 2012 |
| Operator | ENTERPRISE CRUDE PIPELINE LLC |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 28.94961, -95.43029 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | OTHER INCORRECT OPERATION |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"IN REFERENCE TO PARTS A(6), F, AND I, THIS REPORT IS BEING MADE AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF PRIOR INCIDENTS OR NEAR MISSES INVOLVING FLASH FIRE OR IGNITION OF FLAMMABLE VAPORS, PURSUANT TO A COMPLIANCE ORDER ISSUED BY PHMSA (CPF NO. 4-2014-5017). THE PURPOSE OF THIS JOB WAS TO INSTALL A TEE IN A 24-INCH PIPELINE. A SECTION OF THE PIPE WAS REMOVED BY COLD CUTTING AND A MUD PLUG WAS INSTALLED TO ISOLATE THE LINE FROM ANY REMAINING VAPORS DURING WELDING ON THE TEE. THE LINE WAS OPEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE MUD PLUG PRIOR TO ITS INSTALLATION. WHILE THE LINE WAS BEING CUT, ANOTHER CREW WAS INSTRUCTED TO INSTALL A BLIND FLANGE ON THE LINE, ENCLOSING THE PIPE BETWEEN THE MUD PLUG AND THE BLIND FLANGE. RESIDUAL HYDROCARBONS IN THE ENCLOSED PIPE BUILT PRESSURE, EVENTUALLY CAUSING A MIST TO OVERCOME THE MUD PLUG. THE MIST WAS IGNITED BY WELDING ON THE TEE, CAUSING A SHORT-DURATION FLASH FIRE."
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.