BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP

Incident Narrative

AT 3:50 PM ON MAY 20, 2010, THE BUCKEYE PARTNERS LINDEN, NJ CONTROL CENTER RECEIVED A CALL FROM ANOTHER PIPELINE OPERATOR STATING THAT THEY WERE INVESTIGATING A SHEEN ON PILES CREEK NEAR GRASSELLI ROAD, AND THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF PRODUCT IN THE AREA OF OUR PIPELINE. THE PIPELINE HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN, WITH PRODUCT IN IT, SINCE 1:00 PM DUE TO SOME MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY. BUCKEYE DISPATCHED PERSONNEL TO THE LOCATION TO DETERMINE IF BUCKEYE'S PIPELINE WAS LEAKING. WHEN BUCKEYE PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON SITE, THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS BUCKEYE'S 601 LINE THAT HAD A PINHOLE LEAK, AND THEN INITIATED AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE. ALL APPROPRIATE NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE. THE PIPELINE SECTION WAS ISOLATED, THE PRODUCT WAS CONTAINED, AND A TEMPORARY PLIDCO REPAIR SLEEVE WAS INSTALLED. THE PIPELINE WAS RESTARTED AT A REDUCED PRESSURE. THE TEMPORARY REPAIR WAS MONITORED UNTIL THE PERMANENT REPAIR WAS MADE ON JUNE 3, 2010 BY CUTTING OUT THE DAMAGED PIPE AND REPLACING IT WITH CERTIFIED PIPE. AFTER THE PERMANENT REPAIR WAS COMPLETED, THE PIPELINE WAS PLACED BACK INTO SERVICE AT THE ORIGINAL PRESSURE. THE DAMAGED PIPE HAS BEEN SENT TO A LABORATORY FOR A METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE RELEASE. UPDATE: THE RESULT OF THE METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS DETERMINED THE MORPHOLOGY IN THE REGION OF THE FAILURE IS CONSISTENT WITH MICROBIALLY INFLUENCED CORROSION (MIC).