Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
HL incident on 2012-04-29 — TX
Operator
Exxonmobil Pipeline Co
Cause
Material Failure Of Pipe Or Weld
Commodity
Crude Oil
Program
HL
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
0 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$267,200
Incident datetime
2012-04-29 13:50
Report number
Location
TX
Narrative
April 29, 2012- 13:50 cst exxonmobil pipeline company (empco) discovered a crude oil release from the la 168 bunkie to anchorage section of the north line system near torbert, la in pointe coupee parish. The pipeline had been shut since before midnight saturday, april 28, 2012 after a loss in pressure was identified on the systems scada. The la state police hazmat hot line, nrc, environmental protection agency and other agencies were notified. The oil from the north line crude pipeline was contained in the immediate area and recovery efforts were initiated using vacuum trucks, skimmers and absorbent materials to recover the oil. There were no injuries. Air quality monitoring was conducted in the impacted area and confirmed no danger to the public. The cleanup was coordinated with local authorities, including the louisiana oil spill response coordinator's office, the louisiana department of environmental quality and the u.S. Environmental protection agency. The affected pipe was removed and sent to a third party laboratory for metallurgical analysis as part of a full investigation into the cause of the incident. A preliminary estimate of approximately 1,891 barrels of oil was provided to regulatory authorities. Once the incident investigation is complete, the spill volume estimate and recovered amount will be updated. Total cost of the incident has not been finalized. The north line pipeline originates in st. James, louisiana and carries crude oil to the northern part of louisiana. Customers were been notified and efforts are under way to minimize any potential impacts. Metallurgical and mechanical testing revealed that a manufacturing defect' namely, an internal hook crack adjacent to the seam weld was the primary cause of the pipeline rupture. Element reached its conclusion based upon: visual examination, ultrasonic testing, metallographic examination, hardness tests, chemical analysis, tension tests, and charpy tests. Visual examination of the fracture surface revealed a 'smooth, flat fracture along the inside half of the fracture for a length of approximately 4 inches, starting approximately 6-1/2 inches from the girth weld.' the flat fracture was 'perpendicular to the pipe surfaces and transitioned to the slanted fracture [feature] for the remaining 2-1/2 inches to the girth weld.' the fractography indicated that the rupture initiated in the smooth, flat fracture and propagated in both the upstream and downstream directions. The curved path of the fracture was characteristic of a hook-crack defect. The depth of the hook crack was 0.11 inch, approximately 35-percent of the nominal wall thickness. In sum, the primary cause of the 2012 rupture of the affected pipeline was a 35-percent through-wall hook-crack manufacturing defect adjacent to the pipe seam. Part: a 9. Estimated volume of commodity released unintentionally (barrels): 2,880 11. Estimated volume of commodity recovered (barrels): 2,000 part h - narrative description of the accident ** the commodity recovered figure in item 11. Is a gross estimate based off of the volume of commodity released (2,880.00 barrels). Empco recovered the vast majority of the commodity released during the incident response efforts, as recognized by the unified incident command's final site tour and determination that clean-up operations were complete on may 15, 2012. Approximately 1,200 barrels of product were recovered from the environment and hauled offsite by vacuum truck. A large, but undetermined amount of oil was recovered through excavation and debris removal and hauled off in roll-off boxes (407 boxes with approximately 3,129 tons of oiled vegetation, oiled trash, and oiled dirt). Evaporation would likely account for most of the discrepancy between item 9. And item 11.
Detailed record list
Report Received Date
2012-05-29 00:00:00
Iyear
2012
Report Number
20120166
Supplemental Number
20025
Report Type
Supplemental Final
Operator Id
4906
Name
Exxonmobil Pipeline Co
Operator Street Address
22777 Springwoods Village Parkway E2.2b-Emp
Operator City Name
Spring
Operator State Abbreviation
TX
Operator Postal Code
77389
Local Datetime
2012-04-28 22:40:00
Location Latitude
30.554483
Location Longitude
-91.457458
Commodity Released Type
Crude Oil
Unintentional Release Bbls
2880
Intentional Release Bbls
0
Recovered Bbls
2000
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Accident Identifier
Cpm Leak Detection System Or Scada-Based Information (Such As Alarm(S), Alert(S), Event(S), And/or Volume Calculations)
Incident Identified Datetime
2012-04-29 13:50:00
System Part Involved
Onshore Pipeline, Including Valve Sites
On Off Shore
Onshore
Shutdown Due Accident Ind
Yes
Shutdown Datetime
2012-04-28 22:40:00
Restart Datetime
2013-03-01 07:00:00
On Site Datetime
2012-04-29 14:30:00
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2012-04-29 14:19:00
Nrc Rpt Num
1010007
Ignite Ind
No
Explode Ind
No
Upstream Valve Type Ind
Manual
Downstream Valve Type Ind
Automatic
Num Pub Evacuated
0
Pipe Fac Name
Empco North Line System
Segment Name
La 16b Bunkie To Anchorage
Onshore State Abbreviation
La
Onshore Postal Code
70781
Onshore City Name
Torbert
Onshore County Name
Pointe Coupee
Designated Location
Milepost/valve Station
Federal
No
Location Type
Originated On Operator-Controlled Property, But Then Flowed Or Migrated Off The Property
Incident Area Type
Underground
Incident Area Subtype
Under Soil
Depth Of Cover
48
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Interstate
Item Involved
Pipe
Pipe Type
Pipe Seam
Pipe Diameter
22
Pipe Wall Thickness
0.312
Pipe Smys
52000
Pipe Specification
X-52
Pipe Seam Type
Erw - Low Frequency
Pipe Manufacturer
Youngstown
Pipe Coating Type
Coal Tar
Installation Year
1956
Manufactured Year
1956
Material Involved
Carbon Steel
Release Type
Rupture
Rupture Orient
Longitudinal
Rupture Width
2
Rupture Length
204
Wildlife Impact Ind
Yes
Fish Aquatic Impact Ind
Yes
Birds Impact Ind
Yes
Soil Contamination
Yes
Long Term Assessment
Yes
Remediation Ind
Yes
Soil Remed Ind
Yes
Water Contam Ind
Yes
Surface Contam Ind
Yes
Amount Released
1500
Rel Water Name
Bayoucholpe
Could Be Hca
No
Commodity Reached Hca
No
Est Cost Oper Paid
0
Est Cost Gas Released
91520
Est Cost Prop Damage
267200
Est Cost Emergency
7220442
Est Cost Environmental
0
Est Cost Other
91500
Est Cost Other Details
Mapping, Security
Prpty
7670662
Accident Psig
969
Mop Psig
1061
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Mop
Pressure Restriction Ind
No
Internal Inspection Ind
Yes
Operation Complications Ind
No
Pipeline Function
> 20% Smys Regulated Transmission
Scada In Place Ind
Yes
Scada Operating Ind
Yes
Scada Functional Ind
Yes
Scada Detection Ind
Yes
Scada Conf Ind
Yes
Cpm In Place Ind
Yes
Cpm Operating Ind
Yes
Cpm Functional Ind
Yes
Cpm Detection Ind
Yes
Cpm Conf Ind
Yes
Investigation Status
Yes, but the investigation of the control room and/or controller actions has not yet been completed by the operator (supplemental report required)
Employee Drug Test Ind
No
Contractor Drug Test Ind
No
Cause
Material Failure Of Pipe Or Weld
Cause Details
Original Manufacturing-Related (Not Girth Weld Or Other Welds Formed In The Field)
Metallurgical Ind
Yes
Failure Type
Original Manufacturing-Related (Not Girth Weld Or Other Welds Formed In The Field)
Other Factor
Yes
Other Factor Details
Manufacturing Defect, An Internal Hook Crack Adjacent To The Seam Weld
Additional Crack Ind
Yes
Collected Data Ind
Yes
Axial Magnetic Flx Lkg Ind
Yes
Cir Trn Wave Mgn Flx Lkg Ind
Yes
Axial Recent Year
2007
Circ Wave Recent Year
2007
Geometry Recent Year
2007
Has Hydrtst Conduc Before Ind
Yes
Hydrtst Most Rcnt Year
2001
Hydrtst Most Rcnt Pressure
1334
Direct Asmnt Conducted
Yes, But The Point Of The Accident Was Not Identified As A Dig Site
Direct Asmnt Pnt Not Idntf Yr
2007
Non Destructive Exam Ind
No
Preparer Name
K***** L Y****
Preparer Title
Pipeline Safety Compliance Advisor
Preparer Email
K*************@e*********.com
Preparer Telephone
225-324-3055
Preparer Fax
337-662-5950
Prepared Date
2014-12-16 00:00:00
Authorizer Name
J**** B R***
Authorizer Telephone
713-656-0227
Authorizer Title
She Manager
Authorizer Email
J*********@e*********.com
Narrative
April 29, 2012- 13:50 cst exxonmobil pipeline company (empco) discovered a crude oil release from the la 168 bunkie to anchorage section of the north line system near torbert, la in pointe coupee parish. The pipeline had been shut since before midnight saturday, april 28, 2012 after a loss in pressure was identified on the systems scada. The la state police hazmat hot line, nrc, environmental protection agency and other agencies were notified. The oil from the north line crude pipeline was contained in the immediate area and recovery efforts were initiated using vacuum trucks, skimmers and absorbent materials to recover the oil. There were no injuries. Air quality monitoring was conducted in the impacted area and confirmed no danger to the public. The cleanup was coordinated with local authorities, including the louisiana oil spill response coordinator's office, the louisiana department of environmental quality and the u.S. Environmental protection agency. The affected pipe was removed and sent to a third party laboratory for metallurgical analysis as part of a full investigation into the cause of the incident. A preliminary estimate of approximately 1,891 barrels of oil was provided to regulatory authorities. Once the incident investigation is complete, the spill volume estimate and recovered amount will be updated. Total cost of the incident has not been finalized. The north line pipeline originates in st. James, louisiana and carries crude oil to the northern part of louisiana. Customers were been notified and efforts are under way to minimize any potential impacts. Metallurgical and mechanical testing revealed that a manufacturing defect' namely, an internal hook crack adjacent to the seam weld was the primary cause of the pipeline rupture. Element reached its conclusion based upon: visual examination, ultrasonic testing, metallographic examination, hardness tests, chemical analysis, tension tests, and charpy tests. Visual examination of the fracture surface revealed a 'smooth, flat fracture along the inside half of the fracture for a length of approximately 4 inches, starting approximately 6-1/2 inches from the girth weld.' the flat fracture was 'perpendicular to the pipe surfaces and transitioned to the slanted fracture [feature] for the remaining 2-1/2 inches to the girth weld.' the fractography indicated that the rupture initiated in the smooth, flat fracture and propagated in both the upstream and downstream directions. The curved path of the fracture was characteristic of a hook-crack defect. The depth of the hook crack was 0.11 inch, approximately 35-percent of the nominal wall thickness. In sum, the primary cause of the 2012 rupture of the affected pipeline was a 35-percent through-wall hook-crack manufacturing defect adjacent to the pipe seam. Part: a 9. Estimated volume of commodity released unintentionally (barrels): 2,880 11. Estimated volume of commodity recovered (barrels): 2,000 part h - narrative description of the accident ** the commodity recovered figure in item 11. Is a gross estimate based off of the volume of commodity released (2,880.00 barrels). Empco recovered the vast majority of the commodity released during the incident response efforts, as recognized by the unified incident command's final site tour and determination that clean-up operations were complete on may 15, 2012. Approximately 1,200 barrels of product were recovered from the environment and hauled offsite by vacuum truck. A large, but undetermined amount of oil was recovered through excavation and debris removal and hauled off in roll-off boxes (407 boxes with approximately 3,129 tons of oiled vegetation, oiled trash, and oiled dirt). Evaporation would likely account for most of the discrepancy between item 9. And item 11.
| Report Received Date | 2012-05-29 00:00:00 |
|---|---|
| Iyear | 2012 |
| Report Number | 20120166 |
| Supplemental Number | 20025 |
| Report Type | Supplemental Final |
| Operator Id | 4906 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | Exxonmobil Pipeline Co |
| Operator Street Address | 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway E2.2b-Emp |
| Operator City Name | Spring |
| Operator State Abbreviation | TX |
| Operator Postal Code | 77389 |
| Local Datetime | 2012-04-28 22:40:00 |
| Location Latitude | 30.554483 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -91.457458 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Commodity Released Type | Crude Oil |
| Unintentional Release Bbls | 2880 |
| Intentional Release Bbls | 0 |
| Recovered Bbls | 2000 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Accident Identifier | Cpm Leak Detection System Or Scada-Based Information (Such As Alarm(S), Alert(S), Event(S), And/or Volume Calculations) |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2012-04-29 13:50:00 |
| System Part Involved | Onshore Pipeline, Including Valve Sites |
| On Off Shore | Onshore |
| Shutdown Due Accident Ind | Yes |
| Shutdown Datetime | 2012-04-28 22:40:00 |
| Restart Datetime | 2013-03-01 07:00:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2012-04-29 14:30:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2012-04-29 14:19:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1010007 NRC Report How to search |
| Ignite Ind | No |
| Explode Ind | No |
| Upstream Valve Type Ind | Manual |
| Downstream Valve Type Ind | Automatic |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 0 |
| Pipe Fac Name | Empco North Line System |
| Segment Name | La 16b Bunkie To Anchorage |
| Onshore State Abbreviation | La |
| Onshore Postal Code | 70781 |
| Onshore City Name | Torbert |
| Onshore County Name | Pointe Coupee |
| Designated Location | Milepost/valve Station |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Originated On Operator-Controlled Property, But Then Flowed Or Migrated Off The Property |
| Incident Area Type | Underground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Under Soil |
| Depth Of Cover | 48 |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Interstate |
| Item Involved | Pipe |
| Pipe Type | Pipe Seam |
| Pipe Diameter | 22 |
| Pipe Wall Thickness | 0.312 |
| Pipe Smys | 52000 |
| Pipe Specification | X-52 |
| Pipe Seam Type | Erw - Low Frequency |
| Pipe Manufacturer | Youngstown |
| Pipe Coating Type | Coal Tar |
| Installation Year | 1956 |
| Manufactured Year | 1956 |
| Material Involved | Carbon Steel |
| Release Type | Rupture |
| Rupture Orient | Longitudinal |
| Rupture Width | 2 |
| Rupture Length | 204 |
| Wildlife Impact Ind | Yes |
| Fish Aquatic Impact Ind | Yes |
| Birds Impact Ind | Yes |
| Soil Contamination | Yes |
| Long Term Assessment | Yes |
| Remediation Ind | Yes |
| Soil Remed Ind | Yes |
| Water Contam Ind | Yes |
| Surface Contam Ind | Yes |
| Amount Released | 1500 |
| Rel Water Name | Bayoucholpe |
| Could Be Hca | No |
| Commodity Reached Hca | No |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 0 |
| Est Cost Gas Released | 91520 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 267200 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 7220442 |
| Est Cost Environmental | 0 |
| Est Cost Other | 91500 |
| Est Cost Other Details | Mapping, Security |
| Prpty | 7670662 |
| Accident Psig | 969 |
| Mop Psig | 1061 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Mop |
| Pressure Restriction Ind | No |
| Internal Inspection Ind | Yes |
| Operation Complications Ind | No |
| Pipeline Function | > 20% Smys Regulated Transmission |
| Scada In Place Ind | Yes |
| Scada Operating Ind | Yes |
| Scada Functional Ind | Yes |
| Scada Detection Ind | Yes |
| Scada Conf Ind | Yes |
| Cpm In Place Ind | Yes |
| Cpm Operating Ind | Yes |
| Cpm Functional Ind | Yes |
| Cpm Detection Ind | Yes |
| Cpm Conf Ind | Yes |
| Investigation Status | Yes, but the investigation of the control room and/or controller actions has not yet been completed by the operator (supplemental report required) |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | No |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | No |
| Cause | Material Failure Of Pipe Or Weld |
| Cause Details | Original Manufacturing-Related (Not Girth Weld Or Other Welds Formed In The Field) |
| Metallurgical Ind | Yes |
| Failure Type | Original Manufacturing-Related (Not Girth Weld Or Other Welds Formed In The Field) |
| Other Factor | Yes |
| Other Factor Details | Manufacturing Defect, An Internal Hook Crack Adjacent To The Seam Weld |
| Additional Crack Ind | Yes |
| Collected Data Ind | Yes |
| Axial Magnetic Flx Lkg Ind | Yes |
| Cir Trn Wave Mgn Flx Lkg Ind | Yes |
| Axial Recent Year | 2007 |
| Circ Wave Recent Year | 2007 |
| Geometry Recent Year | 2007 |
| Has Hydrtst Conduc Before Ind | Yes |
| Hydrtst Most Rcnt Year | 2001 |
| Hydrtst Most Rcnt Pressure | 1334 |
| Direct Asmnt Conducted | Yes, But The Point Of The Accident Was Not Identified As A Dig Site |
| Direct Asmnt Pnt Not Idntf Yr | 2007 |
| Non Destructive Exam Ind | No |
| Preparer Name | K***** L Y**** |
| Preparer Title | Pipeline Safety Compliance Advisor |
| Preparer Email | K*************@e*********.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 225-324-3055 |
| Preparer Fax | 337-662-5950 |
| Prepared Date | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 |
| Authorizer Name | J**** B R*** |
| Authorizer Telephone | 713-656-0227 |
| Authorizer Title | She Manager |
| Authorizer Email | J*********@e*********.com |
| Narrative | April 29, 2012- 13:50 cst exxonmobil pipeline company (empco) discovered a crude oil release from the la 168 bunkie to anchorage section of the north line system near torbert, la in pointe coupee parish. The pipeline had been shut since before midnight saturday, april 28, 2012 after a loss in pressure was identified on the systems scada. The la state police hazmat hot line, nrc, environmental protection agency and other agencies were notified. The oil from the north line crude pipeline was contained in the immediate area and recovery efforts were initiated using vacuum trucks, skimmers and absorbent materials to recover the oil. There were no injuries. Air quality monitoring was conducted in the impacted area and confirmed no danger to the public. The cleanup was coordinated with local authorities, including the louisiana oil spill response coordinator's office, the louisiana department of environmental quality and the u.S. Environmental protection agency. The affected pipe was removed and sent to a third party laboratory for metallurgical analysis as part of a full investigation into the cause of the incident. A preliminary estimate of approximately 1,891 barrels of oil was provided to regulatory authorities. Once the incident investigation is complete, the spill volume estimate and recovered amount will be updated. Total cost of the incident has not been finalized. The north line pipeline originates in st. James, louisiana and carries crude oil to the northern part of louisiana. Customers were been notified and efforts are under way to minimize any potential impacts. Metallurgical and mechanical testing revealed that a manufacturing defect' namely, an internal hook crack adjacent to the seam weld was the primary cause of the pipeline rupture. Element reached its conclusion based upon: visual examination, ultrasonic testing, metallographic examination, hardness tests, chemical analysis, tension tests, and charpy tests. Visual examination of the fracture surface revealed a 'smooth, flat fracture along the inside half of the fracture for a length of approximately 4 inches, starting approximately 6-1/2 inches from the girth weld.' the flat fracture was 'perpendicular to the pipe surfaces and transitioned to the slanted fracture [feature] for the remaining 2-1/2 inches to the girth weld.' the fractography indicated that the rupture initiated in the smooth, flat fracture and propagated in both the upstream and downstream directions. The curved path of the fracture was characteristic of a hook-crack defect. The depth of the hook crack was 0.11 inch, approximately 35-percent of the nominal wall thickness. In sum, the primary cause of the 2012 rupture of the affected pipeline was a 35-percent through-wall hook-crack manufacturing defect adjacent to the pipe seam. Part: a 9. Estimated volume of commodity released unintentionally (barrels): 2,880 11. Estimated volume of commodity recovered (barrels): 2,000 part h - narrative description of the accident ** the commodity recovered figure in item 11. Is a gross estimate based off of the volume of commodity released (2,880.00 barrels). Empco recovered the vast majority of the commodity released during the incident response efforts, as recognized by the unified incident command's final site tour and determination that clean-up operations were complete on may 15, 2012. Approximately 1,200 barrels of product were recovered from the environment and hauled offsite by vacuum truck. A large, but undetermined amount of oil was recovered through excavation and debris removal and hauled off in roll-off boxes (407 boxes with approximately 3,129 tons of oiled vegetation, oiled trash, and oiled dirt). Evaporation would likely account for most of the discrepancy between item 9. And item 11. |
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