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PLAINS PIPELINE, L.P.

hazardous_liquid Incident —

Incident Information

Report Date—
OperatorPLAINS PIPELINE, L.P.
Commodity—
Pipeline Typehazardous_liquid

Location

State
Coordinates33.58266, -96.64881

Cause

CauseEXCAVATION DAMAGE
Subcause—

Casualties

Fatalities0
Injuries0

Costs

Property Damage—
Lost Commodity—
Public/Private Damage—
Emergency Response—
Environmental Remediation—
Other Costs—

Location Map

Incident Narrative

ON JANUARY 7, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOURS, A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR USING A TRENCHER STRUCK THE PLAINS RED RIVER EAST PIPELINE NEAR MP 75. THE PIPELINE WAS IN A SCHEDULED SHUTDOWN CONDITION WHEN IT WAS STRUCK. THE CONTRACTOR IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED PLAINS AND TOOK MITIGATION MEASURES TO CONTAIN THE RELEASE. THE RELEASE WAS CONTAINED IN THE EXCAVATED TRENCH. THE RELEASE WAS BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL WHEN A VACUUM TRUCK ARRIVED. THE VOLUME RELEASED PRIOR TO THE RELEASE BEING CONTROLED WAS CALCULATED AT APPROXIMATELY 160 BBLS. AN ADDITIONAL 540 BBLS. OF CONTROLLED DRAIN UP FROM THE PIPELINE WAS NECESSARY TO PERFORM THE REPAIR OF THE PIPELINE. A ONE CALL NOTIFICATION FOR THIS EXCAVATION ACTIVITY WAS RECIEVED BY PLAINS ON DECEMBER 15, 2009. THE EXCAVATION FOR THIS ONE CALL WAS TO BE A TRENCH LOCATED PARALLEL TO THE PLAINS PIPELINE. THE PLAINS OPERATOR VISITED THE EXCAVATION SITE AND CLEARED AND RELEASED THE ONE TICKET ON DECEMBER 17, 2009. THE TICKET WAS CLEARED BASED ON THE OPERATOR OBSERVING THAT THE EXCAVATION MARKINGS SHOWED THAT THE TRENCH WOULD BE EXCAVATED PARALLEL TO THE PLAINS PIPELINE. THE OPERATOR CONDUCTING THE LOCATE ASSUMED THAT THE PIPELINE ALIGNMENT WAS IN A STRAIGHT LINE BETWEEN THE PIPELINE MARKERS THAT EXISTED ON EACH END OF THE EXCAVATION ALIGNMENT. THE TRENCHING WAS THROUGH A HAY MEADOW AND THE PIPELINE MARKERS WERE LOCATED AT EACH END OF THE MEADOW. BETWEEN THE MARKERS AT EACH END OF THE MEADOW, THE PIPELINE HAS A BEND AND IS NOT LOCATED IN A STRAIGHT LINE BETWEEN THE MARKERS. THE CONTRACTOR STRUCK THE PIPELINE AT THE BEND. THE OPERATOR'S INAPPROPRIATE AND INCORRECT ASSUMPTION THAT THE PLPELINE DID NOT DEVIATE FROM A STRAIGHT LINE ALIGNMENT, AND HIS FAILURE TO LOCATE AND PROPERLY MARK THE LINE RESULTED IN THIS ACCIDENT. THE OPERATOR DID NOT REVIEW ANY PIPLINE ALIGNMENT DRAWINGS PRIOR TO PROCESSING THE ONE CALL TICKET. THE PIPELINE OPERATOR WAS IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM PERFORMING ""0Q"" COVERED TASKS INVOLVING ONE CALL LINE LOCATING. HE WILL BE RETRAINED AND REQUALIFIED FOR LINE LOCATING TASKS PRIOR TO PERFORMING LINE LOCATING DUTIES .

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.

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