WHITECAP PIPE LINE COMPANY, L.L.C.
hazardous_liquid Incident — — March 25, 2010
Incident Information
| Incident Date | March 25, 2010 |
| Operator | WHITECAP PIPE LINE COMPANY, L.L.C. |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 28.68555, -91.04555 |
Cause
| Cause | OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $2,200,000 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
THE PIPELINE FAILURE OCCURRED AT THE POINT WHERE A 36-INCH DIAMETER FOREIGN PIPELINE CROSSES OVER THE SUBJECT FAILED WPL 18-INCH PIPELINE. IT IS SPECULATED THAT DURING A PRECEDING HURRICANE, THE 36-INCH PIPELINE WAS LIFTED VERTICALLY DUE TO ON-BOTTOM CURRENTS; ONCE LIFTED, GRAVITY CAUSED THE 36-INCH PIPELINE TO FALL ON THE 18-INCH PIPELINE WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO CAUSE THE SPECIFIC DAMAGE OBSERVED. THE EXTERNAL IMPACT LOADING FROM THE 36-INCH PIPELINE WAS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AS IT GENERATED A SEVERE DENT, CAUSING ELEVATED STRESSES. THESE STRESSES, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CYCLIC INTERNAL OPERATING PRESSURE CONDITIONS OF THE 18-INCH PIPELINE, GENERATED CRACKS THAT RESULTED IN THE THRU-WALL LEAK.
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.