"ENBRIDGE ENERGY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP"
hazardous_liquid Incident — — September 11, 2010
Incident Information
| Incident Date | September 11, 2010 |
| Operator | "ENBRIDGE ENERGY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP" |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 42.56794, -84.10547 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | DAMAGE BY OPERATOR OR OPERATOR'S CONTRACTOR NOT RELATED TO EXCAVATION AND NOT DUE TO MOTORIZED VEHICLE/EQUIPMENT DAMAGE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $20,000 |
| Emergency Response | $2,500 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"WHILE PERFORMING ASSIGNED PIPELINE INTEGRITY WORK AT MP 658.6997, A CONTRACT WELDER WAS CUTTING A SUPPORTED PIPE CASING, EXTERNAL TO THE CARRIER PIPE, IN A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DIRECTION USING A HAND HELD TORCH. WHILE COMPLETING THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL CUT ON THE CASING PIPE, A SMALL AREA AT THE SIX O'CLOCK POSITION WAS STILL HINGED WHEN THE WELDER ATTEMPTED TO CUT THROUGH THE REMAINING CASING PIPE AND CONTACTED THE CARRIER PIPE WITH THE TORCH CAUSING A 1/4 INCH GAUGE IN THE PIPE. THE CONTROL CENTER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE M/L VALVES WERE CLOSED IN THAT SECTION. APPROXIMATELY 10 GALLONS OF OIL WAS RELEASED FROM THE PIPELINE. TO REPAIR THE AFFECTED SECTION, A BOLTED PLIDCO SPLIT SLEEVE WAS INSTALLED AND PERMANENTLY WELDED TO THE PIPELINE. ALTHOUGH THIS EVENT DID NOT MEET PHMSA TELEPHONIC REPORTING CRITERIA, ENBRIDGE CHOSE TO CALL THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER TO ALERT PHMSA."
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.