EXPLORER PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2010 A 189 BARREL RELEASE OF DIESEL FUEL WAS EXPERIENCED FROM STATION PIPING AT EXPLORER PIPELINES FAUNA STATION. THE DIESEL FUEL THAT WAS RELEASED FROM THE STATION PIPING WAS COMPLETELY CONTAINED INSIDE THE TANK DIKE. NINETY-EIGHT 98 BARRELS OF FREE PHASE DIESEL FUEL WAS RECOVERED AND NINETY-ONE 91 BARRELS WAS ENTRAINED IN THE SOIL THAT WAS TESTED AND EXCAVATED FOR PROPER DISPOSAL. EXPLORERS INVESTIGATION AND THIRD-PARTY METALLURGICAL TESTING CONCLUDED THAT THE DIRECT CAUSE OF THE 16 INCH STATION PIPING RELEASE WAS FROM THE PIPING BEING ISOLATED FROM THERMAL RELIEF. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE RELEASE WAS MICROBIAL INFLUENCED INTERNAL CORROSION. THE METALLURGICAL TEST ALSO INDICATED A CRACK LIKE FLAW HAD ADVANCED IN THE THROUGH-WALL DIRECTION, BUT DID NOT PRODUCE A LEAK OR RUPTURE PRIOR TO THE FINAL FAILURE. AT THE TIME OF THE RELEASE, THE 12 INCH PIPELINE THAT DELIVERS PRODUCT TO THE FAUNA STATION WAS SHUTDOWN AND THERE WAS 113 PSIG ON THE PIPELINE. THE 16 INCH STATION PIPING THAT RECEIVES PRODUCT FROM THE 12 INCH PIPELINE WAS ISOLATED FROM THE PIPELINE AND TANKAGE. HOWEVER, WHEN THE 16 INCH STATION PIPING WAS ISOLATED IT WAS ISOLATED FROM THERMAL RELIEF. THE PRESSURE TRANSMITTER FOR DELIVERIES INTO THE STATION FROM THE 12 INCH PIPELINE IS UPSTREAM OF THE FIRST MANUAL ISOLATION VALVE THAT WAS SHUT. THEREFORE, THE EXACT PRESSURE ON THE 971 FOOT SECTION OF 16 INCH STATION PIPING INVOLVED WITH THE INCIDENT IS UNKNOWN. THE 16 INCH STATION PIPING WAS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE NEW 24 INCH CONNECTION AND MANIFOLD AT FAUNA. THE NEW 24 INCH STATION MANIFOLD CONNECTION INTO THE FAUNA STATION WAS ISOLATED FROM THE NEW 24 INCH PIPELINE CONNECTION. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, EXPLORER WAS BYPASSING THE FAUNA STATION AND WAS MAKING A DELIVERY TO A THIRD-PARTY PIPELINE. THE 24 INCH STATION MANIFOLD PRESSURE WAS 3.6 PSIG DURING THE DELIVERY TO THE THIRD-PARTY PIPELINE. THE 24 INCH SYSTEM AND MANIFOLD IS A NEW OPERATION THAT HAD ESTABLISHED DELIVERY AND RECEIPT PROCEDURES. THE 24 INCH PIPELINE DELIVERY WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUTDOWN TO ALLOW FIELD PERSONNEL TO RESPOND TO THE STATION RELEASE THAT WAS TOTALLY CONTAINED INSIDE THE DIKE. THE BURST PRESSURE OF THE REGION OF THE WALL LOSS THAT CONTAINED THE RUPTURE WAS CALCULATED USING THE RSTRENG EFFECTIVE AREA METHOD EMBODIED IN CORLAS AND RANGED FROM 342 PSIG TO 787 PSIG. THE 971 FOOT SECTION OF 16 INCH STATION PIPING INVOLVED WAS FROM ORIGINAL 1954 CONSTRUCTION OF THE FAUNA STATION AND LIMITED DATA WAS PROVIDED FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER. HOWEVER, METALLURGICAL TESTING CONFIRMED THE 16 INCH STATION PIPING WAS API 5L .250 INCH WALL THICKNESS X46 ELECTRIC FUSION WELDED (EFW) LONGITUDINAL SEAM PIPE. THE 16 INCH FUANA STATION PIPING DECOMMISSIONING HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND THE PIPING WAS DISPLACED WITH NITROGEN. REPORT WAS SUPPLMENTED TO ACCOUNT FOR QUESTION E5F.