LOOP INC
hazardous_liquid Incident — — January 25, 2010
Incident Information
| Incident Date | January 25, 2010 |
| Operator | LOOP INC |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 29.47000, -90.25444 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | FAILURE OF EQUIPMENT BODY (EXCEPT PUMP), TANK PLATE, OR OTHER MATERIAL |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $30,000 |
| Emergency Response | $600,000 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
THE SUMP AT THE LOOP LLC CLOVELLY DOME STORAGE TERMINAL INJECTION STATION OVERFLOWED WHEN A VALVE ON A 6-INCH DRAIN LINE ALLOWED FLOW BACK INTO THE SUMP AT A RATE TOO HIGH FOR THE PUMPS TO MAINTAIN. THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INDICATES THAT THE VALVE MAY NOT HAVE SEATED PROPERLY WHEN LAST OPERATED AND THAT THIS MALFUNCTION WAS NOT DETECHED AT THE TIME DUE TO SEDIMENT BUILDUP IN THE DRAIN LINE AS IT IS RARELY USED. IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE SEDIMENT BLOCKAGE BROKE LOOSE ALLOWING OIL TO FLOW INTO THE SUMP THROUGH THE PARTIALLY OPENED VALVE. AN INVESTIGATION TEAM HAS BEEN COMMISSIONED TO CONDUCT A MORE THOROUGH CASUAL ANALYSIS OF THE ACCIDENT. THE INVESTIGATION TEAM COMPLETED THE CAUSAL ANALYSIS REFERENCED ABOVE AND CONCURRED THAT THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE SPILL WAS THE SEDIMENT BUILDUP BREAKING LOOSE ALLOWING OIL TO FLOW THROUGH THE IMPROPERLY SEATED VALVE INTO THE SUMP.
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.