TC OIL PIPELINE OPERATIONS INC
hazardous_liquid Incident — — February 3, 2011
Incident Information
| Incident Date | February 3, 2011 |
| Operator | TC OIL PIPELINE OPERATIONS INC |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 35.93030, -96.75140 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | "TANK, VESSEL, OR SUMP/SEPARATOR ALLOWED OR CAUSED TO OVERFILL OR OVERFLOW" |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $5,000 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"DURING COMMISSIONING OF THE 36 INCH CUSHING MAINLINE PIPELINE, THE PIPELINE WAS BEING PURGED BY PIGGING OPERATIONS. VAPORS (MIXTURE OF HYDROCARBONS AND NITROGEN) IN THE PIPELINE WERE BEING PURGED FROM THE PIPELINE AND VENTED THROUGH A SERIES OF SEPARATORS AND FLARED. THE SEPARATORS WERE FOR CAPTURE OF PIPELINE LIQUIDS (CRUDE OIL). LIQUIDS FILLED UP THE SECONDARY SEPARATOR AND DUE TO INCORRECT POSITION OF THE 6 INCH OUTLET VALVE, AN OVERFLOW OF THE SECONDARY SEPARATOR OCCURRED RESULTING IN CRUDE OIL IN THE FLARE LINE, AND CAUSING IGNITION. THE OVERFLOW OF CRUDE OIL IGNITED AND SPILLED ON THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND. UPON DISCOVERY BY OPERATIONS PERSONNEL AND CONTRACTORS, THE SOURCE OF CRUDE OIL WAS SHUT IN RESULTING IN THE PRODUCT TO SELF EXTINGUISH. CRUDE OIL CONTINUED TO SPRAY FROM THE FLARE STACK EMITTING A MIST ON THE LOCATION, DIMENSIONS OF 20 FEET BY 60 FEET. CLEANUP OF THE FACILITY COMMENCED AND WAS COMPLETED. COMMISIONING ACTIVITIES WAS SUSPENDED UNTIL A RRT CAUSE ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED BY KEYSTONE."
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.