Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
HL incident on 2015-04-12 — GA
Operator
Colonial Pipeline Co
Cause
Material Failure Of Pipe Or Weld
Commodity
Refined And/or Petroleum Product (Non-Hvl) Which Is A Liquid At Ambient Conditions
Program
HL
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
0 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$150,000
Incident datetime
2015-04-12 13:34
Report number
Location
GA
Narrative
At 1225 est on april 12, 2015, a local landowner called the emergency line to report sheen on a beaver pond and an oily smell near hunter road in fountain inn, south carolina. A local colonial senior operator was dispatched to investigate. Dead vegetation on the right of way and the smell of diesel fuel were confirmed and the line was shut down at 1334 est. Block valves were closed remotely at belton, simpsonville, spartanburg and gaffney. All required internal notifications were made beginning at 1352 est. The nrc was notified at 1536 est (report #1113391). Scdhec was notified at 1600 est. Additionally, the manual block valve at cooper bridge road (upstream of enoree river) was closed at 1637 est. As more colonial personnel and contract crews arrived at the site, boom and underflow dams were installed on hunter branch creek as a precaution. Excavation started at 1900 est to identify the leak source. Product containment and excavation activities were continuous and the source of the leak was identified as a 4 inch underside crack at 2030 est on april 13th. Ndt was performed on the pipe and a 4 foot sleeve was installed as a permanent repair. The line was restarted at 0500 est on april 14th to put pressure at the repair site. The line was shut down at 0525 est and pressure held at 125. Per the start up plan, the line was restarted at 0550 est and the rate was gradually increased to 41,500 barrels per hour. With no issues at the repair site, at 1145 est, the line was returned to normal operation operations. Current release estimate is calculated at 3010 gallons based on an initial lab sample and approximation of soil volume yet to be excavated. The extent of soil impact is currently being assessed to allow for a more accurate volume estimate. Soils continue to be removed and will be disposed of off-site at anderson regional landfill in belton, sc. Entirety of groundwater impact and total amount of commodity is not known at this time, and will be assessed after the excavation project ends. A light sheen was evident on the beaver pond, but there has been no measurable product impacting it. There is no evidence of impact to wildlife and there are no threatened or endangered species listed in the vicinity. Update 10/21/15: total soil volume disposed of is 10,831 tons. Calculated volume of product contained in the soil is 2,623 gallons. Total spill volume for the release os 2,643 gallons. Update april 2020: during the time period that this release occurred, colonial had experienced several other releases that had the same failure mode. The ia that followed this incident was consolidated with the other recent fatigue crack in dent failures, and was addressed as one comprehensive, system-wide assessment of the factors contributing to the development of fatigue cracks in dents. This approach was taken by colonial to ensure that the lessons learned from all of the incidents could be factored into the corrective action plan and drive improvements system-wide. The ia included metallurgical analyses of three of the dent failures, all confirming that pressure cycling of the dent resulted in through wall fatigue cracks. The presence of the dent concentrated stresses on the pipeline, creating a fatigue crack to form and grow through-wall over time due to pressure cycling.
Detailed record list
Report Received Date
2015-05-11 00:00:00
Iyear
2015
Report Number
20150172
Supplemental Number
33650
Report Type
Supplemental Final
Operator Id
2552
Name
Colonial Pipeline Co
Operator Street Address
1000 Lake St.
Operator City Name
Alpharetta
Operator State Abbreviation
GA
Operator Postal Code
30009
Local Datetime
2015-04-12 12:25:00
Location Latitude
34.753426
Location Longitude
-82.150528
Commodity Released Type
Refined And/or Petroleum Product (Non-Hvl) Which Is A Liquid At Ambient Conditions
Commodity Subtype
Diesel, Fuel Oil, Kerosene, Jet Fuel
Unintentional Release Bbls
62.9
Recovered Bbls
62.9
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Accident Identifier
Notification From Public
Incident Identified Datetime
2015-04-12 13:34:00
System Part Involved
Onshore Pipeline, Including Valve Sites
On Off Shore
Onshore
Shutdown Due Accident Ind
Yes
Shutdown Datetime
2015-04-12 13:34:00
Restart Datetime
2015-04-14 04:00:00
On Site Datetime
2015-04-12 13:15:00
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2015-04-12 15:36:00
Nrc Rpt Num
1113391
Ignite Ind
No
Explode Ind
No
Upstream Valve Type Ind
Remotely Controlled
Downstream Valve Type Ind
Remotely Controlled
Num Pub Evacuated
0
Pipe Fac Name
Location 0702
Segment Name
Line 2; Station 249281 - Houston To Greensboro
Onshore State Abbreviation
Sc
Onshore Postal Code
29644
Onshore City Name
Fountain Inn
Onshore County Name
Laurens
Designated Location
Milepost/valve Station
Designated Name
Property 104
Federal
No
Location Type
Pipeline Right-Of-Way
Incident Area Type
Underground
Incident Area Subtype
Under Soil
Depth Of Cover
45
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Interstate
Item Involved
Pipe
Pipe Type
Pipe Body
Pipe Diameter
36
Pipe Wall Thickness
0.281
Pipe Smys
52000
Pipe Specification
Api 5l
Pipe Seam Type
Dsaw
Pipe Manufacturer
National Tube
Pipe Coating Type
Asphalt
Installation Year
1962
Manufactured Year
Unknown
Material Involved
Carbon Steel
Release Type
Leak
Leak Type
Crack
Wildlife Impact Ind
No
Soil Contamination
Yes
Long Term Assessment
Yes
Remediation Ind
Yes
Groundwater Remed Ind
Yes
Soil Remed Ind
Yes
Vegetation Remed Ind
Yes
Water Contam Ind
Yes
Groundwater Contam Ind
Yes
Amount Released
43
Rel Water Name
Hunter Branch Creek
Could Be Hca
Yes
Commodity Reached Hca
No
Est Cost Oper Paid
0
Est Cost Gas Released
6000
Est Cost Prop Damage
150000
Est Cost Emergency
945000
Est Cost Environmental
650000
Est Cost Other
200000
Est Cost Other Details
Cpc Personnel And Incidentals
Prpty
1951000
Accident Psig
350
Mop Psig
574
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Mop
Pressure Restriction Ind
No
Length Segment Isolated
37541
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
No
Scada Conf Ind
No
Cpm In Place Ind
No
Investigation Status
Yes, specify investigation result(s): (select all that apply)
Invest No Control Room Ind
Yes
Invest No Controller Ind
Yes
Employee Drug Test Ind
Yes
Contractor Drug Test Ind
No
Num Employees Tested
2
Num Employees Failed
0
Cause
Material Failure Of Pipe Or Weld
Cause Details
Design-, Construction-, Installation-, Or Fabrication-Related
Field Exam Ind
Yes
Failure Type
Design-, Construction-, Installation-, Or Fabrication-Related
Fatigue Vibr Related
Yes
Failure Subtype
Other
Fatigue Vibr Related Other
Failure: Stress From Dent; Crack Originated, Grew & Failed From Cyclic Fatigue
Additional Dent Ind
Yes
Additional Crack Ind
Yes
Collected Data Ind
Yes
Axial Magnetic Flx Lkg Ind
Yes
Ultrasonic Ind
Yes
Geometry Deformation Ind
Yes
Emat Ind
Yes
Axial Recent Year
2011
Ultrasonic Recent Year
2008
Geometry Recent Year
2011
Emat Recent Year
2008
Other Recent Year
2011
Has Hydrtst Conduc Before Ind
No
Direct Asmnt Conducted
No
Non Destructive Exam Ind
Yes
Exm Radiography Rcnt Year
2015
Exm Handl Ultrasonic Rcnt Year
2015
Exm Wet Mgnt Partcl Rcnt Year
2015
Exm Radiography Rcnt Ind
Yes
Exm Handl Ultrasonic Rcnt Ind
Yes
Exm Wet Mgnt Partcl Rcnt Ind
Yes
Preparer Name
D***** L******
Preparer Title
Compliance Coordinator
Preparer Email
D*******@c******.com
Preparer Telephone
770.819.3574
Prepared Date
2020-04-24 00:00:00
Authorizer Name
M*** P*****
Authorizer Telephone
678 762 2531
Authorizer Title
Manager Pipeline Compliance
Authorizer Email
M******@c******.com
Narrative
At 1225 est on april 12, 2015, a local landowner called the emergency line to report sheen on a beaver pond and an oily smell near hunter road in fountain inn, south carolina. A local colonial senior operator was dispatched to investigate. Dead vegetation on the right of way and the smell of diesel fuel were confirmed and the line was shut down at 1334 est. Block valves were closed remotely at belton, simpsonville, spartanburg and gaffney. All required internal notifications were made beginning at 1352 est. The nrc was notified at 1536 est (report #1113391). Scdhec was notified at 1600 est. Additionally, the manual block valve at cooper bridge road (upstream of enoree river) was closed at 1637 est. As more colonial personnel and contract crews arrived at the site, boom and underflow dams were installed on hunter branch creek as a precaution. Excavation started at 1900 est to identify the leak source. Product containment and excavation activities were continuous and the source of the leak was identified as a 4 inch underside crack at 2030 est on april 13th. Ndt was performed on the pipe and a 4 foot sleeve was installed as a permanent repair. The line was restarted at 0500 est on april 14th to put pressure at the repair site. The line was shut down at 0525 est and pressure held at 125. Per the start up plan, the line was restarted at 0550 est and the rate was gradually increased to 41,500 barrels per hour. With no issues at the repair site, at 1145 est, the line was returned to normal operation operations. Current release estimate is calculated at 3010 gallons based on an initial lab sample and approximation of soil volume yet to be excavated. The extent of soil impact is currently being assessed to allow for a more accurate volume estimate. Soils continue to be removed and will be disposed of off-site at anderson regional landfill in belton, sc. Entirety of groundwater impact and total amount of commodity is not known at this time, and will be assessed after the excavation project ends. A light sheen was evident on the beaver pond, but there has been no measurable product impacting it. There is no evidence of impact to wildlife and there are no threatened or endangered species listed in the vicinity. Update 10/21/15: total soil volume disposed of is 10,831 tons. Calculated volume of product contained in the soil is 2,623 gallons. Total spill volume for the release os 2,643 gallons. Update april 2020: during the time period that this release occurred, colonial had experienced several other releases that had the same failure mode. The ia that followed this incident was consolidated with the other recent fatigue crack in dent failures, and was addressed as one comprehensive, system-wide assessment of the factors contributing to the development of fatigue cracks in dents. This approach was taken by colonial to ensure that the lessons learned from all of the incidents could be factored into the corrective action plan and drive improvements system-wide. The ia included metallurgical analyses of three of the dent failures, all confirming that pressure cycling of the dent resulted in through wall fatigue cracks. The presence of the dent concentrated stresses on the pipeline, creating a fatigue crack to form and grow through-wall over time due to pressure cycling.
| Report Received Date | 2015-05-11 00:00:00 |
|---|---|
| Iyear | 2015 |
| Report Number | 20150172 |
| Supplemental Number | 33650 |
| Report Type | Supplemental Final |
| Operator Id | 2552 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | Colonial Pipeline Co |
| Operator Street Address | 1000 Lake St. |
| Operator City Name | Alpharetta |
| Operator State Abbreviation | GA |
| Operator Postal Code | 30009 |
| Local Datetime | 2015-04-12 12:25:00 |
| Location Latitude | 34.753426 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -82.150528 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Commodity Released Type | Refined And/or Petroleum Product (Non-Hvl) Which Is A Liquid At Ambient Conditions |
| Commodity Subtype | Diesel, Fuel Oil, Kerosene, Jet Fuel |
| Unintentional Release Bbls | 62.9 |
| Recovered Bbls | 62.9 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Accident Identifier | Notification From Public |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2015-04-12 13:34:00 |
| System Part Involved | Onshore Pipeline, Including Valve Sites |
| On Off Shore | Onshore |
| Shutdown Due Accident Ind | Yes |
| Shutdown Datetime | 2015-04-12 13:34:00 |
| Restart Datetime | 2015-04-14 04:00:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2015-04-12 13:15:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2015-04-12 15:36:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1113391 NRC Report How to search |
| Ignite Ind | No |
| Explode Ind | No |
| Upstream Valve Type Ind | Remotely Controlled |
| Downstream Valve Type Ind | Remotely Controlled |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 0 |
| Pipe Fac Name | Location 0702 |
| Segment Name | Line 2; Station 249281 - Houston To Greensboro |
| Onshore State Abbreviation | Sc |
| Onshore Postal Code | 29644 |
| Onshore City Name | Fountain Inn |
| Onshore County Name | Laurens |
| Designated Location | Milepost/valve Station |
| Designated Name | Property 104 |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Pipeline Right-Of-Way |
| Incident Area Type | Underground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Under Soil |
| Depth Of Cover | 45 |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Interstate |
| Item Involved | Pipe |
| Pipe Type | Pipe Body |
| Pipe Diameter | 36 |
| Pipe Wall Thickness | 0.281 |
| Pipe Smys | 52000 |
| Pipe Specification | Api 5l |
| Pipe Seam Type | Dsaw |
| Pipe Manufacturer | National Tube |
| Pipe Coating Type | Asphalt |
| Installation Year | 1962 |
| Manufactured Year | Unknown |
| Material Involved | Carbon Steel |
| Release Type | Leak |
| Leak Type | Crack |
| Wildlife Impact Ind | No |
| Soil Contamination | Yes |
| Long Term Assessment | Yes |
| Remediation Ind | Yes |
| Groundwater Remed Ind | Yes |
| Soil Remed Ind | Yes |
| Vegetation Remed Ind | Yes |
| Water Contam Ind | Yes |
| Groundwater Contam Ind | Yes |
| Amount Released | 43 |
| Rel Water Name | Hunter Branch Creek |
| Could Be Hca | Yes |
| Commodity Reached Hca | No |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 0 |
| Est Cost Gas Released | 6000 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 150000 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 945000 |
| Est Cost Environmental | 650000 |
| Est Cost Other | 200000 |
| Est Cost Other Details | Cpc Personnel And Incidentals |
| Prpty | 1951000 |
| Accident Psig | 350 |
| Mop Psig | 574 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Mop |
| Pressure Restriction Ind | No |
| Length Segment Isolated | 37541 |
| 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 | No |
| Scada Conf Ind | No |
| Cpm In Place Ind | No |
| Investigation Status | Yes, specify investigation result(s): (select all that apply) |
| Invest No Control Room Ind | Yes |
| Invest No Controller Ind | Yes |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | No |
| Num Employees Tested | 2 |
| Num Employees Failed | 0 |
| Cause | Material Failure Of Pipe Or Weld |
| Cause Details | Design-, Construction-, Installation-, Or Fabrication-Related |
| Field Exam Ind | Yes |
| Failure Type | Design-, Construction-, Installation-, Or Fabrication-Related |
| Fatigue Vibr Related | Yes |
| Failure Subtype | Other |
| Fatigue Vibr Related Other | Failure: Stress From Dent; Crack Originated, Grew & Failed From Cyclic Fatigue |
| Additional Dent Ind | Yes |
| Additional Crack Ind | Yes |
| Collected Data Ind | Yes |
| Axial Magnetic Flx Lkg Ind | Yes |
| Ultrasonic Ind | Yes |
| Geometry Deformation Ind | Yes |
| Emat Ind | Yes |
| Axial Recent Year | 2011 |
| Ultrasonic Recent Year | 2008 |
| Geometry Recent Year | 2011 |
| Emat Recent Year | 2008 |
| Other Recent Year | 2011 |
| Has Hydrtst Conduc Before Ind | No |
| Direct Asmnt Conducted | No |
| Non Destructive Exam Ind | Yes |
| Exm Radiography Rcnt Year | 2015 |
| Exm Handl Ultrasonic Rcnt Year | 2015 |
| Exm Wet Mgnt Partcl Rcnt Year | 2015 |
| Exm Radiography Rcnt Ind | Yes |
| Exm Handl Ultrasonic Rcnt Ind | Yes |
| Exm Wet Mgnt Partcl Rcnt Ind | Yes |
| Preparer Name | D***** L****** |
| Preparer Title | Compliance Coordinator |
| Preparer Email | D*******@c******.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 770.819.3574 |
| Prepared Date | 2020-04-24 00:00:00 |
| Authorizer Name | M*** P***** |
| Authorizer Telephone | 678 762 2531 |
| Authorizer Title | Manager Pipeline Compliance |
| Authorizer Email | M******@c******.com |
| Narrative | At 1225 est on april 12, 2015, a local landowner called the emergency line to report sheen on a beaver pond and an oily smell near hunter road in fountain inn, south carolina. A local colonial senior operator was dispatched to investigate. Dead vegetation on the right of way and the smell of diesel fuel were confirmed and the line was shut down at 1334 est. Block valves were closed remotely at belton, simpsonville, spartanburg and gaffney. All required internal notifications were made beginning at 1352 est. The nrc was notified at 1536 est (report #1113391). Scdhec was notified at 1600 est. Additionally, the manual block valve at cooper bridge road (upstream of enoree river) was closed at 1637 est. As more colonial personnel and contract crews arrived at the site, boom and underflow dams were installed on hunter branch creek as a precaution. Excavation started at 1900 est to identify the leak source. Product containment and excavation activities were continuous and the source of the leak was identified as a 4 inch underside crack at 2030 est on april 13th. Ndt was performed on the pipe and a 4 foot sleeve was installed as a permanent repair. The line was restarted at 0500 est on april 14th to put pressure at the repair site. The line was shut down at 0525 est and pressure held at 125. Per the start up plan, the line was restarted at 0550 est and the rate was gradually increased to 41,500 barrels per hour. With no issues at the repair site, at 1145 est, the line was returned to normal operation operations. Current release estimate is calculated at 3010 gallons based on an initial lab sample and approximation of soil volume yet to be excavated. The extent of soil impact is currently being assessed to allow for a more accurate volume estimate. Soils continue to be removed and will be disposed of off-site at anderson regional landfill in belton, sc. Entirety of groundwater impact and total amount of commodity is not known at this time, and will be assessed after the excavation project ends. A light sheen was evident on the beaver pond, but there has been no measurable product impacting it. There is no evidence of impact to wildlife and there are no threatened or endangered species listed in the vicinity. Update 10/21/15: total soil volume disposed of is 10,831 tons. Calculated volume of product contained in the soil is 2,623 gallons. Total spill volume for the release os 2,643 gallons. Update april 2020: during the time period that this release occurred, colonial had experienced several other releases that had the same failure mode. The ia that followed this incident was consolidated with the other recent fatigue crack in dent failures, and was addressed as one comprehensive, system-wide assessment of the factors contributing to the development of fatigue cracks in dents. This approach was taken by colonial to ensure that the lessons learned from all of the incidents could be factored into the corrective action plan and drive improvements system-wide. The ia included metallurgical analyses of three of the dent failures, all confirming that pressure cycling of the dent resulted in through wall fatigue cracks. The presence of the dent concentrated stresses on the pipeline, creating a fatigue crack to form and grow through-wall over time due to pressure cycling. |
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