Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
HL incident on 2014-08-06 — TX
Operator
North Dakota Pipeline Company Llc
Cause
Incorrect Operation
Commodity
Crude Oil
Program
HL
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
0 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$0
Incident datetime
2014-08-06 14:02
Report number
Location
TX
Narrative
An explosion/fire occurred at the alexander station resulting in a release of approximately 2 gallons of crude oil (9 total gallons reported includes 7 additional gallons of drain down) and causing an injury to a contract employee. The incident occurred when welders were welding on a flange and a foreman's plug blew. A metallurgical analysis was conducted and confirmed porosity as a manufacturing defect. The analysis concluded that the flame from welding ignited vapors that had leaked through the large porosity holes in the foreman plug, the flames traveled back through the plug igniting vapors in the pipe which caused the plug to be ejected. The third party contractor was taken to a medical facility for treatment. Contractor was treated and released. 10/07/2016 in discussions with the plug's manufacturer following this incident, ndpl discovered that the manufacturer revised its specifications regarding use of the foremen's plug after ndpl's regular annual review of manufacturer's specifications in november 2013, and prior to ndpl's regularly scheduled annual review of said specifications in november 2014, recommending against use in this application. Ndpl maintains the porosity (manufacturing defect) discovered during the investigation of this incident was the root cause of the incident. Ndpl has agreed to update the 7000-1 from equipment failure to incorrect equipment after review with PHMSA accident investigator. Based on the change to the manufacturer's instruction, ndpl has revised its procedure and no longer includes the use of a foremen's plug in this application.
Detailed record list
Report Received Date
2014-09-05 00:00:00
Iyear
2014
Report Number
20140318
Supplemental Number
21848
Report Type
Supplemental Final
Operator Id
15774
Name
North Dakota Pipeline Company Llc
Operator Street Address
915 N Eldridge Parkway, Suite 1100
Operator City Name
Houston
Operator State Abbreviation
TX
Operator Postal Code
77079
Local Datetime
2014-08-06 14:02:00
Location Latitude
47.97958
Location Longitude
-103.6615
Commodity Released Type
Crude Oil
Unintentional Release Bbls
0.21
Recovered Bbls
0.21
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Accident Identifier
Local Operating Personnel, Including Contractors
Operator Type
Operator Employee
Incident Identified Datetime
2014-08-06 14:02:00
System Part Involved
Onshore Terminal/tank Farm Equipment And Piping
On Off Shore
Onshore
Shutdown Due Accident Ind
No
Shutdown Explain
Facility Was Shutdown Prior To Incident For Work Being Completed
On Site Datetime
2014-08-06 14:02:00
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2014-08-06 15:24:00
Nrc Rpt Num
1091521
Ignite Ind
Yes
Explode Ind
Yes
Num Pub Evacuated
0
Pipe Fac Name
Alexander Station
Segment Name
Ax
Onshore State Abbreviation
Nd
Onshore Postal Code
58831
Onshore City Name
Alexander
Onshore County Name
Mckenzie
Designated Location
Milepost/valve Station
Designated Name
Ax Station
Federal
No
Location Type
Totally Contained On Operator-Controlled Property
Incident Area Type
Aboveground
Incident Area Subtype
Typical Aboveground Facility Piping Or Appurtenance
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Interstate
Item Involved
Other
Item Involved Details
Foreman Plug
Installation Year
2014
Material Involved
Material Other Than Carbon Steel
Material Details
Alumimum Plug With Rubber Seal
Release Type
Leak
Leak Type
Other
Leak Type Other
Plug Ejected From Pipe
Wildlife Impact Ind
No
Soil Contamination
No
Long Term Assessment
No
Remediation Ind
No
Water Contam Ind
No
Could Be Hca
No
Commodity Reached Hca
No
Est Cost Oper Paid
0
Est Cost Gas Released
0
Est Cost Prop Damage
0
Est Cost Emergency
59207
Est Cost Environmental
0
Est Cost Other
14765
Est Cost Other Details
Misc., Food/lodging, Metalurgical Analysis ($6,000)
Prpty
73972
Accident Psig
0
Mop Psig
285
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Mop
Pressure Restriction Ind
No
Pipeline Function
> 20% Smys Regulated Transmission
Scada In Place Ind
Yes
Scada Operating Ind
Yes
Scada Functional Ind
Yes
Scada Detection Ind
No
Scada Conf Ind
No
Cpm In Place Ind
Yes
Cpm Operating Ind
No
Cpm Functional Ind
Yes
Cpm Detection Ind
No
Cpm Conf Ind
No
Investigation Status
No, the operator did not find that an investigation of the controller(s) actions or control room issues was necessary due to: (provide an explanation for why the operator did not investigate)
Investigation Status Details
The nature of the release was related to construction activities on site
Employee Drug Test Ind
Yes
Contractor Drug Test Ind
Yes
Num Employees Tested
10
Num Employees Failed
0
Num Contractors Tested
12
Num Contractors Failed
0
Cause
Incorrect Operation
Cause Details
Wrong Equipment Specified Or Installed
Operation Type
Wrong Equipment Specified Or Installed
Related Other Ind
Yes
Operation Related Details
Device Used Per Industry Practice, Not Recommended For Use For This Application By Manufacturer. (See Narrative In Part H)
Category Type
Other Maintenance
Operator Qualification Ind
No
Preparer Name
D**** S*****
Preparer Title
Compliance Team Lead
Preparer Email
D***********@e*******.com
Preparer Telephone
701-857-0815
Preparer Fax
701-857-0809
Prepared Date
2016-11-16 00:00:00
Authorizer Name
K**** G****
Authorizer Telephone
701-857-0880
Authorizer Title
Manager Support Services
Authorizer Email
K**********@e*******.com
Narrative
An explosion/fire occurred at the alexander station resulting in a release of approximately 2 gallons of crude oil (9 total gallons reported includes 7 additional gallons of drain down) and causing an injury to a contract employee. The incident occurred when welders were welding on a flange and a foreman's plug blew. A metallurgical analysis was conducted and confirmed porosity as a manufacturing defect. The analysis concluded that the flame from welding ignited vapors that had leaked through the large porosity holes in the foreman plug, the flames traveled back through the plug igniting vapors in the pipe which caused the plug to be ejected. The third party contractor was taken to a medical facility for treatment. Contractor was treated and released. 10/07/2016 in discussions with the plug's manufacturer following this incident, ndpl discovered that the manufacturer revised its specifications regarding use of the foremen's plug after ndpl's regular annual review of manufacturer's specifications in november 2013, and prior to ndpl's regularly scheduled annual review of said specifications in november 2014, recommending against use in this application. Ndpl maintains the porosity (manufacturing defect) discovered during the investigation of this incident was the root cause of the incident. Ndpl has agreed to update the 7000-1 from equipment failure to incorrect equipment after review with PHMSA accident investigator. Based on the change to the manufacturer's instruction, ndpl has revised its procedure and no longer includes the use of a foremen's plug in this application.
| Report Received Date | 2014-09-05 00:00:00 |
|---|---|
| Iyear | 2014 |
| Report Number | 20140318 |
| Supplemental Number | 21848 |
| Report Type | Supplemental Final |
| Operator Id | 15774 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | North Dakota Pipeline Company Llc |
| Operator Street Address | 915 N Eldridge Parkway, Suite 1100 |
| Operator City Name | Houston |
| Operator State Abbreviation | TX |
| Operator Postal Code | 77079 |
| Local Datetime | 2014-08-06 14:02:00 |
| Location Latitude | 47.97958 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -103.6615 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Commodity Released Type | Crude Oil |
| Unintentional Release Bbls | 0.21 |
| Recovered Bbls | 0.21 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Accident Identifier | Local Operating Personnel, Including Contractors |
| Operator Type | Operator Employee |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2014-08-06 14:02:00 |
| System Part Involved | Onshore Terminal/tank Farm Equipment And Piping |
| On Off Shore | Onshore |
| Shutdown Due Accident Ind | No |
| Shutdown Explain | Facility Was Shutdown Prior To Incident For Work Being Completed |
| On Site Datetime | 2014-08-06 14:02:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2014-08-06 15:24:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1091521 NRC Report How to search |
| Ignite Ind | Yes |
| Explode Ind | Yes |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 0 |
| Pipe Fac Name | Alexander Station |
| Segment Name | Ax |
| Onshore State Abbreviation | Nd |
| Onshore Postal Code | 58831 |
| Onshore City Name | Alexander |
| Onshore County Name | Mckenzie |
| Designated Location | Milepost/valve Station |
| Designated Name | Ax Station |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Totally Contained On Operator-Controlled Property |
| Incident Area Type | Aboveground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Typical Aboveground Facility Piping Or Appurtenance |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Interstate |
| Item Involved | Other |
| Item Involved Details | Foreman Plug |
| Installation Year | 2014 |
| Material Involved | Material Other Than Carbon Steel |
| Material Details | Alumimum Plug With Rubber Seal |
| Release Type | Leak |
| Leak Type | Other |
| Leak Type Other | Plug Ejected From Pipe |
| Wildlife Impact Ind | No |
| Soil Contamination | No |
| Long Term Assessment | No |
| Remediation Ind | No |
| Water Contam Ind | No |
| Could Be Hca | No |
| Commodity Reached Hca | No |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 0 |
| Est Cost Gas Released | 0 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 0 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 59207 |
| Est Cost Environmental | 0 |
| Est Cost Other | 14765 |
| Est Cost Other Details | Misc., Food/lodging, Metalurgical Analysis ($6,000) |
| Prpty | 73972 |
| Accident Psig | 0 |
| Mop Psig | 285 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Mop |
| Pressure Restriction Ind | No |
| Pipeline Function | > 20% Smys Regulated Transmission |
| Scada In Place Ind | Yes |
| Scada Operating Ind | Yes |
| Scada Functional Ind | Yes |
| Scada Detection Ind | No |
| Scada Conf Ind | No |
| Cpm In Place Ind | Yes |
| Cpm Operating Ind | No |
| Cpm Functional Ind | Yes |
| Cpm Detection Ind | No |
| Cpm Conf Ind | No |
| Investigation Status | No, the operator did not find that an investigation of the controller(s) actions or control room issues was necessary due to: (provide an explanation for why the operator did not investigate) |
| Investigation Status Details | The nature of the release was related to construction activities on site |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Num Employees Tested | 10 |
| Num Employees Failed | 0 |
| Num Contractors Tested | 12 |
| Num Contractors Failed | 0 |
| Cause | Incorrect Operation |
| Cause Details | Wrong Equipment Specified Or Installed |
| Operation Type | Wrong Equipment Specified Or Installed |
| Related Other Ind | Yes |
| Operation Related Details | Device Used Per Industry Practice, Not Recommended For Use For This Application By Manufacturer. (See Narrative In Part H) |
| Category Type | Other Maintenance |
| Operator Qualification Ind | No |
| Preparer Name | D**** S***** |
| Preparer Title | Compliance Team Lead |
| Preparer Email | D***********@e*******.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 701-857-0815 |
| Preparer Fax | 701-857-0809 |
| Prepared Date | 2016-11-16 00:00:00 |
| Authorizer Name | K**** G**** |
| Authorizer Telephone | 701-857-0880 |
| Authorizer Title | Manager Support Services |
| Authorizer Email | K**********@e*******.com |
| Narrative | An explosion/fire occurred at the alexander station resulting in a release of approximately 2 gallons of crude oil (9 total gallons reported includes 7 additional gallons of drain down) and causing an injury to a contract employee. The incident occurred when welders were welding on a flange and a foreman's plug blew. A metallurgical analysis was conducted and confirmed porosity as a manufacturing defect. The analysis concluded that the flame from welding ignited vapors that had leaked through the large porosity holes in the foreman plug, the flames traveled back through the plug igniting vapors in the pipe which caused the plug to be ejected. The third party contractor was taken to a medical facility for treatment. Contractor was treated and released. 10/07/2016 in discussions with the plug's manufacturer following this incident, ndpl discovered that the manufacturer revised its specifications regarding use of the foremen's plug after ndpl's regular annual review of manufacturer's specifications in november 2013, and prior to ndpl's regularly scheduled annual review of said specifications in november 2014, recommending against use in this application. Ndpl maintains the porosity (manufacturing defect) discovered during the investigation of this incident was the root cause of the incident. Ndpl has agreed to update the 7000-1 from equipment failure to incorrect equipment after review with PHMSA accident investigator. Based on the change to the manufacturer's instruction, ndpl has revised its procedure and no longer includes the use of a foremen's plug in this application. |
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