Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
GTG incident on 2015-08-09 — TX
Operator
Columbia Gas Transmission, Llc
Cause
Equipment Failure
Commodity
Natural Gas
Program
GTG
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
0 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$456,236
Incident datetime
2015-08-09 22:19
Report number
Location
TX
Narrative
On august 9, 2015 at 22:19 est, the compression units at eagle compressor station (cs) located in chester springs, pa did shut down due to an emergency shutdown (esd) signal that was triggered by the fire detection/melt-out sensors over unit 3. At the time of the esd, all 4 units at the station were running. When the station operator arrived at the station in response to a callout, he noted presence of fire in the compressor building, line 1804 blowdown stack was found to be releasing natural gas (material) into atmosphere and line 1804 suction header emergency valve (l-7210) not fully closed allowing material to continue to flow to the station and out the blowdown stack. Material flowing into the station through line 1804 was shut-off using upstream block valves which were manually closed. The source of the fire was determined to be a coolant leak on a short flexible hose connection between the coolant header and head connection at cylinder no. 5 on an engine/compressor package. The other units were inspected for similar indications on the ethanol hoses before the other units were returned back into service. After the full inspection and safety checks on the other units was completed, they were returned back into service in sequence. Unit no. 3 was repaired and returned back to service after necessary repairs/replacements were performed. Key action items were the replacement of emergency valve(s) and blowdown actuators (this project was underway at time of this incident and new valve actuators were onsite awaiting installation). Replacement of the pneumatic compressors was completed back in 2015. Also, modification to valve inspection procedure to include method of testing and maintaining auxiliary valves and actuator hydraulics. Ensure no evidence to contamination in the pneumatic system to prevent moisture accumulation is hampering the emergency valve actuator from functioning. Initial incident report was submitted on september 04, 2015.
Detailed record list
Report Received Date
2015-09-04 00:00:00
Iyear
2015
Report Number
20150111
Supplemental Number
17019
Report Type
Supplemental Final
Operator Id
2616
Name
Columbia Gas Transmission, Llc
Operator Street Address
700 Louisiana St. Suite 700
Operator City Name
Houston
Operator State Abbreviation
TX
Operator Postal Code
77002
Local Datetime
2015-08-09 22:20:00
Location Latitude
40.097453
Location Longitude
-75.681189
Nrc Rpt Num
1125195
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2015-08-10 00:16:00
Commodity Released Type
Natural Gas
Unintentional Release
6659
Intentional Release
0
Accompanying Liquid
0
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Shutdown Due Accident Ind
Yes
Shutdown Datetime
2015-08-09 23:14:00
Restart Datetime
2015-08-10 03:14:00
Ignite Ind
No
Explode Ind
No
Num Pub Evacuated
0
Incident Identified Datetime
2015-08-09 22:19:00
On Site Datetime
2015-08-09 22:36:00
On Off Shore
Onshore
Onshore State Abbreviation
Pa
Onshore Postal Code
19425
Onshore City Name
Chester Spring
Onshore County Name
Chester County
Designated Location
Milepost
Designated Name
L-7210
Pipe Fac Name
Eagle Compressor Station
Segment Name
Emergency Valve
Federal
No
Location Type
Operator-Controlled Property
Incident Area Type
Aboveground
Incident Area Subtype
Typical Aboveground Facility Piping Or Appurtenance
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Interstate
System Part Involved
Onshore Compressor Station Equipment And Piping
Item Involved
Valve
Valve Type
Auxiliary Or Other Valve
Installation Year
Unknown
Material Involved
Carbon Steel
Release Type
Other
Release Type Details
Failed Suction Header Emergency Valve.
Class Location Type
Class 3 Location
Could Be Hca
No
Pir Radius
422
Heat Damage Ind
No
Non Heat Damage Ind
No
Hca Fatalities Ind
No
Est Cost Oper Paid
0
Est Cost Unintentional Release
18579
Est Cost Intentional Release
0
Est Cost Prop Damage
456236
Est Cost Emergency
0
Est Cost Other
0
Prpty
474815
Accident Psig
775
Mop Psig
936
Mop Cfr Section
192.619(A)(3)
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop
Pressure Restriction Ind
No
Pipeline Function
Transmission System
Scada In Place Ind
Yes
Scada Operating Ind
Yes
Scada Functional Ind
Yes
Scada Detection Ind
Yes
Scada Conf Ind
Yes
Accident Identifier
Scada-Based Information (Such As Alarm(S), Alert(S), Event(S), And/or Volume Or Pack Calculations)
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
Root cause investigations identified that due to a breached ethanol line initiating the fire in the compressor unit building. Scada system functioned as it was designed to and alerted the gas controller to perform necessary call-outs to address the alarms.
Employee Drug Test Ind
Yes
Contractor Drug Test Ind
No
Num Employees Tested
1
Num Employees Failed
0
Cause
Equipment Failure
Cause Details
Failure Of Equipment Body (Except Compressor), Vessel Plate, Or Other Material
Eq Failure Type
Failure Of Equipment Body (Except Compressor), Vessel Plate, Or Other Material
Eq Failure Details
Emergency Shut Valve Located On Line 1804 Suction Header Failed To Close After The Emergency Shutdown System Was Activated
Eq Additional Other Ind
Yes
Eq Additional Other Details
Impurities In The Actuator Tubing
Preparer Name
G***** H*****
Preparer Title
Engineer
Preparer Email
G******@c**.com
Preparer Telephone
(304) 357-3728
Authorizer Name
P**** M*** H******
Authorizer Title
Manager System Integrity
Authorizer Telephone
(304)357-2548
Authorizer Email
M**********@c**.com
Narrative
On august 9, 2015 at 22:19 est, the compression units at eagle compressor station (cs) located in chester springs, pa did shut down due to an emergency shutdown (esd) signal that was triggered by the fire detection/melt-out sensors over unit 3. At the time of the esd, all 4 units at the station were running. When the station operator arrived at the station in response to a callout, he noted presence of fire in the compressor building, line 1804 blowdown stack was found to be releasing natural gas (material) into atmosphere and line 1804 suction header emergency valve (l-7210) not fully closed allowing material to continue to flow to the station and out the blowdown stack. Material flowing into the station through line 1804 was shut-off using upstream block valves which were manually closed. The source of the fire was determined to be a coolant leak on a short flexible hose connection between the coolant header and head connection at cylinder no. 5 on an engine/compressor package. The other units were inspected for similar indications on the ethanol hoses before the other units were returned back into service. After the full inspection and safety checks on the other units was completed, they were returned back into service in sequence. Unit no. 3 was repaired and returned back to service after necessary repairs/replacements were performed. Key action items were the replacement of emergency valve(s) and blowdown actuators (this project was underway at time of this incident and new valve actuators were onsite awaiting installation). Replacement of the pneumatic compressors was completed back in 2015. Also, modification to valve inspection procedure to include method of testing and maintaining auxiliary valves and actuator hydraulics. Ensure no evidence to contamination in the pneumatic system to prevent moisture accumulation is hampering the emergency valve actuator from functioning. Initial incident report was submitted on september 04, 2015.
| Report Received Date | 2015-09-04 00:00:00 |
|---|---|
| Iyear | 2015 |
| Report Number | 20150111 |
| Supplemental Number | 17019 |
| Report Type | Supplemental Final |
| Operator Id | 2616 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | Columbia Gas Transmission, Llc |
| Operator Street Address | 700 Louisiana St. Suite 700 |
| Operator City Name | Houston |
| Operator State Abbreviation | TX |
| Operator Postal Code | 77002 |
| Local Datetime | 2015-08-09 22:20:00 |
| Location Latitude | 40.097453 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -75.681189 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1125195 NRC Report How to search |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2015-08-10 00:16:00 |
| Commodity Released Type | Natural Gas |
| Unintentional Release | 6659 |
| Intentional Release | 0 |
| Accompanying Liquid | 0 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Shutdown Due Accident Ind | Yes |
| Shutdown Datetime | 2015-08-09 23:14:00 |
| Restart Datetime | 2015-08-10 03:14:00 |
| Ignite Ind | No |
| Explode Ind | No |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 0 |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2015-08-09 22:19:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2015-08-09 22:36:00 |
| On Off Shore | Onshore |
| Onshore State Abbreviation | Pa |
| Onshore Postal Code | 19425 |
| Onshore City Name | Chester Spring |
| Onshore County Name | Chester County |
| Designated Location | Milepost |
| Designated Name | L-7210 |
| Pipe Fac Name | Eagle Compressor Station |
| Segment Name | Emergency Valve |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Operator-Controlled Property |
| Incident Area Type | Aboveground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Typical Aboveground Facility Piping Or Appurtenance |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Interstate |
| System Part Involved | Onshore Compressor Station Equipment And Piping |
| Item Involved | Valve |
| Valve Type | Auxiliary Or Other Valve |
| Installation Year | Unknown |
| Material Involved | Carbon Steel |
| Release Type | Other |
| Release Type Details | Failed Suction Header Emergency Valve. |
| Class Location Type | Class 3 Location |
| Could Be Hca | No |
| Pir Radius | 422 |
| Heat Damage Ind | No |
| Non Heat Damage Ind | No |
| Hca Fatalities Ind | No |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 0 |
| Est Cost Unintentional Release | 18579 |
| Est Cost Intentional Release | 0 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 456236 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 0 |
| Est Cost Other | 0 |
| Prpty | 474815 |
| Accident Psig | 775 |
| Mop Psig | 936 |
| Mop Cfr Section | 192.619(A)(3) View CFR 49 §192 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop |
| Pressure Restriction Ind | No |
| Pipeline Function | Transmission System |
| Scada In Place Ind | Yes |
| Scada Operating Ind | Yes |
| Scada Functional Ind | Yes |
| Scada Detection Ind | Yes |
| Scada Conf Ind | Yes |
| Accident Identifier | Scada-Based Information (Such As Alarm(S), Alert(S), Event(S), And/or Volume Or Pack Calculations) |
| 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 | Root cause investigations identified that due to a breached ethanol line initiating the fire in the compressor unit building. Scada system functioned as it was designed to and alerted the gas controller to perform necessary call-outs to address the alarms. |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | No |
| Num Employees Tested | 1 |
| Num Employees Failed | 0 |
| Cause | Equipment Failure |
| Cause Details | Failure Of Equipment Body (Except Compressor), Vessel Plate, Or Other Material |
| Eq Failure Type | Failure Of Equipment Body (Except Compressor), Vessel Plate, Or Other Material |
| Eq Failure Details | Emergency Shut Valve Located On Line 1804 Suction Header Failed To Close After The Emergency Shutdown System Was Activated |
| Eq Additional Other Ind | Yes |
| Eq Additional Other Details | Impurities In The Actuator Tubing |
| Preparer Name | G***** H***** |
| Preparer Title | Engineer |
| Preparer Email | G******@c**.com |
| Preparer Telephone | (304) 357-3728 |
| Authorizer Name | P**** M*** H****** |
| Authorizer Title | Manager System Integrity |
| Authorizer Telephone | (304)357-2548 |
| Authorizer Email | M**********@c**.com |
| Narrative | On august 9, 2015 at 22:19 est, the compression units at eagle compressor station (cs) located in chester springs, pa did shut down due to an emergency shutdown (esd) signal that was triggered by the fire detection/melt-out sensors over unit 3. At the time of the esd, all 4 units at the station were running. When the station operator arrived at the station in response to a callout, he noted presence of fire in the compressor building, line 1804 blowdown stack was found to be releasing natural gas (material) into atmosphere and line 1804 suction header emergency valve (l-7210) not fully closed allowing material to continue to flow to the station and out the blowdown stack. Material flowing into the station through line 1804 was shut-off using upstream block valves which were manually closed. The source of the fire was determined to be a coolant leak on a short flexible hose connection between the coolant header and head connection at cylinder no. 5 on an engine/compressor package. The other units were inspected for similar indications on the ethanol hoses before the other units were returned back into service. After the full inspection and safety checks on the other units was completed, they were returned back into service in sequence. Unit no. 3 was repaired and returned back to service after necessary repairs/replacements were performed. Key action items were the replacement of emergency valve(s) and blowdown actuators (this project was underway at time of this incident and new valve actuators were onsite awaiting installation). Replacement of the pneumatic compressors was completed back in 2015. Also, modification to valve inspection procedure to include method of testing and maintaining auxiliary valves and actuator hydraulics. Ensure no evidence to contamination in the pneumatic system to prevent moisture accumulation is hampering the emergency valve actuator from functioning. Initial incident report was submitted on september 04, 2015. |
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