"BRIDGER LAKE, LLC"
hazardous_liquid Incident — — April 5, 2010
Incident Information
| Incident Date | April 5, 2010 |
| Operator | "BRIDGER LAKE, LLC" |
| Commodity | CRUDE OIL |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 41.18497, -110.41061 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | PIPELINE OR EQUIPMENT OVERPRESSURED |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $4,000,000 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"A RUPTURE OF THE CRUDE OIL PIPELINE OPERATED BY BRIDGER LAKE, LLC OCCURRED WHILE THE PIPELINE WAS ON A SCHEDULED MONTHLY ONE-DAY DOWNTIME PERIOD FOR STORAGE TANK MEASUREMENTS. THE TANK VOLUME MEASUREMENTS ARE TAKEN AND USED TO COMPARE WITH LEASE OPERATORS STATED INPUT QUANTITIES. THE PIPELINE'S MAIN MANUAL VALVE TO THE STORAGE TANK IS CLOSED DURING THIS PERIOD TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL FLOW INTO THE TANK DURING MEASUREMENT. THE BRIDGER LAKE EMPLOYEE INDICATED THAT A THIRD-PARTY BEGAN INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL CRUDE OIL INTO THE PIPELINE DURING THIS TIME. IN SUCH A CASE, THE EXTRA INPUT OF OIL LED TO AN OVERPRESSURIZATION OF THE PIPELINE THAT RESULTED IN THE FAILURE AT THE WEAKEST SPOT ALONG THE PIPELINE, IN THIS CASE, A DENT. THE DENT OCCURRED AT SOME POINT PRIOR TO RUPTURE. THE BRIDGER LAKE EMPLOYEE BECAME AWARE OF THE SPILL ON MONDAY MORNING, APRIL 5, 2010 BECAUSE THE PIPELINE PRESSURE WAS EXTREMELY LOW, A SECONDLY, THE LINE 'FLYER REPORTED A DARK SPOT IN THE SNOW BETWEEN MILE POST 16 AND 17. AS OF 01/23/2012, THE TOTAL COST OF REMEDIATION OF THE SPILL IS $4,416,317.60. THE FINAL COSTS OF THE REMEDIATION IS PROJECTED TO BE APPROXIMATELY $4,900,000,00. THIS TOTAL INCLUDES FINAL PREPPING OF THE SITE AND TWO-YEAR MONITORING."
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.