Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
GTG incident on 2017-08-28 — TX
Operator
Williams Olefins Feedstock Pipelines, Llc
Cause
Equipment Failure
Commodity
Other Gas
Program
GTG
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
0 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$6,000
Incident datetime
2017-08-28 16:10
Report number
Location
TX
Narrative
At approximately 2pm on 08/28/2017, the pressure transmitter at lpt1 went to 0 psi, on the 893 hcl (hydrogen chloride gas) pipeline . This pressure drop represented a 3/8' tubing failure on an instrumentation rack at the mlv under the fred hartman bridge, resulting in a product release. This release was not picked up by on-site gas detection, likely due to wind direction and strength. Winds are estimated to be 15-20mph from the north/northeast. Sporadic heavy rain is present in the area from the ongoing tropical storm, harvey. At 4:10pm, a passer-by called williams pipeline control to alert them to a release resulting in a plume from the site. That passer-by was jennifer oliver, cell phone 713-392-6214. Pipeline control isolated the release by actuating mainline valves to close. Pipeline control alerted channelview operations, mobilizing several members of the team to investigate the incident. Jonathon keeth, charlie shaw and james sparks attempted to get to the site. Jonathan keeth was first to arrive and charlie shaw arrived almost immediately after, where la porte emergency response team was on site at approximately 4:45pm. An incident command structure was established immediately incident commander chad kukla safety officer jonathan keeth 1st responders maintained 100 yards distance from the valve site, staying upwind, to provide adequate safety margin. La porte fire department issued a shelter-in-place order for surrounding area residents and shut down both directions of hwy 146 and hwy 225. There were no nearby fire hydrants so a water fog to mitigate the hcl plume was not possible. Hazmat units from harris county and oxy vinyl responded to the scene, arriving at 6:21pm, baytown hazmat attempted to respond but was unable. The best method of dealing with the line was determined to be having oxy vinyl pull the line down, which was at 95 psi to start. Line fill exposure was calculated to be 57k lbs of hcl. Over the course of 1.5 hours, oxy was able to pull the line down to 13 psi, taking 38k lbs, when hazmat teams entered the site to isolate the release. The hazmat team entering the site consisted of two harris county team members leading the isolation efforts, with three oxy vinyl team members entering in assistance. Jonathan keeth provided detailed instruction of the system to the hazmat teams, laying out the correct valves to close and necessary keys for entry. At 7:01pm, site entry occurred by the hazmat teams. At 7:02pm, the first valve was closed and isolation occurred. The hazmat teams then closed the 3/4' valve on the tubing to provide additional isolation of the release. At 7:05pm, jonathon entered the site to determine the necessary tools and equipment needed to provide positive isolation. At 7:13pm, authorities released traffic in both directions of hwy 146 and hwy 225. Jonathon placed a tubing plug and threaded fitting where the tubing feral failed and let go. The tubing section which failed was removed and a new nut, feral and cap were installed. This transmitter will remain out of service until the weather breaks or a planned repair can take place on thursday, august 31, using an awning for shelter. That repair team is scheduled to be jonathon keeth and charlie shaw. At 7:25pm, all emergency responders left the site. Update 9/25/2017 tubing connections have been replaced with new components. Initial investigation shows that the tubing ferule failed, likely due to reaction with hcl product and water in atmosphere. New fittings manufactured from hastelloy material have been installed in place of monel material.
Detailed record list
Report Received Date
2017-09-25 00:00:00
Iyear
2017
Report Number
20170082
Supplemental Number
17597
Report Type
Supplemental Final
Operator Id
32614
Name
Williams Olefins Feedstock Pipelines, Llc
Operator Street Address
9 Greenway Plaza Suite 2800
Operator City Name
Houston
Operator State Abbreviation
TX
Operator Postal Code
77046
Local Datetime
2017-08-28 14:00:00
Location Latitude
29.69416667
Location Longitude
-95.02888889
Nrc Rpt Num
1189587
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2017-08-28 17:09:00
Commodity Released Type
Other Gas
Commodity Details
Hydrogen Chloride Gas
Unintentional Release
6.157
Intentional Release
0
Accompanying Liquid
0
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Shutdown Due Accident Ind
No
Shutdown Explain
Pipeline Was Pressurized But Product Was Not Flowing At Time Of Incident.
Ignite Ind
No
Explode Ind
No
Num Pub Evacuated
0
Incident Identified Datetime
2017-08-28 16:10:00
On Site Datetime
2017-08-28 16:45:00
On Off Shore
Onshore
Onshore State Abbreviation
Tx
Onshore Postal Code
77520
Onshore City Name
Baytown
Onshore County Name
Harris
Designated Location
Milepost
Designated Name
Fred Hartman
Pipe Fac Name
Hcl Gas Pipeline
Segment Name
18930
Federal
No
Location Type
Pipeline Right-Of-Way
Incident Area Type
Aboveground
Incident Area Subtype
Typical Aboveground Facility Piping Or Appurtenance
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Intrastate
System Part Involved
Onshore Pipeline, Including Valve Sites
Item Involved
Tubing
Installation Year
Unknown
Material Involved
Material Other Than Carbon Steel Or Plastic
Material Details
Monel
Release Type
Leak
Leak Type
Connection Failure
Class Location Type
Class 3 Location
Could Be Hca
Yes
Determination Method
Method2
Pir Radius
10
Heat Damage Ind
No
Non Heat Damage Ind
No
Hca Fatalities Ind
No
Est Cost Oper Paid
0
Est Cost Unintentional Release
2
Est Cost Intentional Release
0
Est Cost Prop Damage
6000
Est Cost Emergency
0
Est Cost Other
0
Prpty
6002
Accident Psig
96
Mop Psig
673
Mop Cfr Section
192.619(A)(2)
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop
Pressure Restriction Ind
No
Upstream Valve Type Ind
Automatic
Downstream Valve Type Ind
Automatic
Length Segment Isolated
38016
Internal Inspection Ind
Yes
Operation Complications Ind
No
Pipeline Function
Transmission System
Scada In Place Ind
Yes
Scada Operating Ind
Yes
Scada Functional Ind
Yes
Scada Detection Ind
No
Scada Conf Ind
No
Accident Identifier
Notification From Public
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
Small release could not be detected by pipeline control.
Employee Drug Test Ind
No
Contractor Drug Test Ind
No
Cause
Equipment Failure
Cause Details
Defective Or Loose Tubing Or Fitting
Eq Failure Type
Defective Or Loose Tubing Or Fitting
Additional Vibration Ind
Yes
Additional Breakdown Ind
Yes
Preparer Name
S**** F******
Preparer Title
Pipeline Safety Engineer
Preparer Email
S************@w*******.com
Preparer Telephone
7132153051
Authorizer Name
S**** F******
Authorizer Title
Pipeline Safety Engineer
Authorizer Telephone
713-215-3051
Authorizer Email
S************@w*******.com
Narrative
At approximately 2pm on 08/28/2017, the pressure transmitter at lpt1 went to 0 psi, on the 893 hcl (hydrogen chloride gas) pipeline . This pressure drop represented a 3/8' tubing failure on an instrumentation rack at the mlv under the fred hartman bridge, resulting in a product release. This release was not picked up by on-site gas detection, likely due to wind direction and strength. Winds are estimated to be 15-20mph from the north/northeast. Sporadic heavy rain is present in the area from the ongoing tropical storm, harvey. At 4:10pm, a passer-by called williams pipeline control to alert them to a release resulting in a plume from the site. That passer-by was jennifer oliver, cell phone 713-392-6214. Pipeline control isolated the release by actuating mainline valves to close. Pipeline control alerted channelview operations, mobilizing several members of the team to investigate the incident. Jonathon keeth, charlie shaw and james sparks attempted to get to the site. Jonathan keeth was first to arrive and charlie shaw arrived almost immediately after, where la porte emergency response team was on site at approximately 4:45pm. An incident command structure was established immediately incident commander chad kukla safety officer jonathan keeth 1st responders maintained 100 yards distance from the valve site, staying upwind, to provide adequate safety margin. La porte fire department issued a shelter-in-place order for surrounding area residents and shut down both directions of hwy 146 and hwy 225. There were no nearby fire hydrants so a water fog to mitigate the hcl plume was not possible. Hazmat units from harris county and oxy vinyl responded to the scene, arriving at 6:21pm, baytown hazmat attempted to respond but was unable. The best method of dealing with the line was determined to be having oxy vinyl pull the line down, which was at 95 psi to start. Line fill exposure was calculated to be 57k lbs of hcl. Over the course of 1.5 hours, oxy was able to pull the line down to 13 psi, taking 38k lbs, when hazmat teams entered the site to isolate the release. The hazmat team entering the site consisted of two harris county team members leading the isolation efforts, with three oxy vinyl team members entering in assistance. Jonathan keeth provided detailed instruction of the system to the hazmat teams, laying out the correct valves to close and necessary keys for entry. At 7:01pm, site entry occurred by the hazmat teams. At 7:02pm, the first valve was closed and isolation occurred. The hazmat teams then closed the 3/4' valve on the tubing to provide additional isolation of the release. At 7:05pm, jonathon entered the site to determine the necessary tools and equipment needed to provide positive isolation. At 7:13pm, authorities released traffic in both directions of hwy 146 and hwy 225. Jonathon placed a tubing plug and threaded fitting where the tubing feral failed and let go. The tubing section which failed was removed and a new nut, feral and cap were installed. This transmitter will remain out of service until the weather breaks or a planned repair can take place on thursday, august 31, using an awning for shelter. That repair team is scheduled to be jonathon keeth and charlie shaw. At 7:25pm, all emergency responders left the site. Update 9/25/2017 tubing connections have been replaced with new components. Initial investigation shows that the tubing ferule failed, likely due to reaction with hcl product and water in atmosphere. New fittings manufactured from hastelloy material have been installed in place of monel material.
| Report Received Date | 2017-09-25 00:00:00 |
|---|---|
| Iyear | 2017 |
| Report Number | 20170082 |
| Supplemental Number | 17597 |
| Report Type | Supplemental Final |
| Operator Id | 32614 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | Williams Olefins Feedstock Pipelines, Llc |
| Operator Street Address | 9 Greenway Plaza Suite 2800 |
| Operator City Name | Houston |
| Operator State Abbreviation | TX |
| Operator Postal Code | 77046 |
| Local Datetime | 2017-08-28 14:00:00 |
| Location Latitude | 29.69416667 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -95.02888889 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1189587 NRC Report How to search |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2017-08-28 17:09:00 |
| Commodity Released Type | Other Gas |
| Commodity Details | Hydrogen Chloride Gas |
| Unintentional Release | 6.157 |
| Intentional Release | 0 |
| Accompanying Liquid | 0 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Shutdown Due Accident Ind | No |
| Shutdown Explain | Pipeline Was Pressurized But Product Was Not Flowing At Time Of Incident. |
| Ignite Ind | No |
| Explode Ind | No |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 0 |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2017-08-28 16:10:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2017-08-28 16:45:00 |
| On Off Shore | Onshore |
| Onshore State Abbreviation | Tx |
| Onshore Postal Code | 77520 |
| Onshore City Name | Baytown |
| Onshore County Name | Harris |
| Designated Location | Milepost |
| Designated Name | Fred Hartman |
| Pipe Fac Name | Hcl Gas Pipeline |
| Segment Name | 18930 |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Pipeline Right-Of-Way |
| Incident Area Type | Aboveground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Typical Aboveground Facility Piping Or Appurtenance |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Intrastate |
| System Part Involved | Onshore Pipeline, Including Valve Sites |
| Item Involved | Tubing |
| Installation Year | Unknown |
| Material Involved | Material Other Than Carbon Steel Or Plastic |
| Material Details | Monel |
| Release Type | Leak |
| Leak Type | Connection Failure |
| Class Location Type | Class 3 Location |
| Could Be Hca | Yes |
| Determination Method | Method2 |
| Pir Radius | 10 |
| Heat Damage Ind | No |
| Non Heat Damage Ind | No |
| Hca Fatalities Ind | No |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 0 |
| Est Cost Unintentional Release | 2 |
| Est Cost Intentional Release | 0 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 6000 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 0 |
| Est Cost Other | 0 |
| Prpty | 6002 |
| Accident Psig | 96 |
| Mop Psig | 673 |
| Mop Cfr Section | 192.619(A)(2) View CFR 49 §192 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop |
| Pressure Restriction Ind | No |
| Upstream Valve Type Ind | Automatic |
| Downstream Valve Type Ind | Automatic |
| Length Segment Isolated | 38016 |
| Internal Inspection Ind | Yes |
| Operation Complications Ind | No |
| Pipeline Function | Transmission System |
| Scada In Place Ind | Yes |
| Scada Operating Ind | Yes |
| Scada Functional Ind | Yes |
| Scada Detection Ind | No |
| Scada Conf Ind | No |
| Accident Identifier | Notification From Public |
| 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 | Small release could not be detected by pipeline control. |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | No |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | No |
| Cause | Equipment Failure |
| Cause Details | Defective Or Loose Tubing Or Fitting |
| Eq Failure Type | Defective Or Loose Tubing Or Fitting |
| Additional Vibration Ind | Yes |
| Additional Breakdown Ind | Yes |
| Preparer Name | S**** F****** |
| Preparer Title | Pipeline Safety Engineer |
| Preparer Email | S************@w*******.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 7132153051 |
| Authorizer Name | S**** F****** |
| Authorizer Title | Pipeline Safety Engineer |
| Authorizer Telephone | 713-215-3051 |
| Authorizer Email | S************@w*******.com |
| Narrative | At approximately 2pm on 08/28/2017, the pressure transmitter at lpt1 went to 0 psi, on the 893 hcl (hydrogen chloride gas) pipeline . This pressure drop represented a 3/8' tubing failure on an instrumentation rack at the mlv under the fred hartman bridge, resulting in a product release. This release was not picked up by on-site gas detection, likely due to wind direction and strength. Winds are estimated to be 15-20mph from the north/northeast. Sporadic heavy rain is present in the area from the ongoing tropical storm, harvey. At 4:10pm, a passer-by called williams pipeline control to alert them to a release resulting in a plume from the site. That passer-by was jennifer oliver, cell phone 713-392-6214. Pipeline control isolated the release by actuating mainline valves to close. Pipeline control alerted channelview operations, mobilizing several members of the team to investigate the incident. Jonathon keeth, charlie shaw and james sparks attempted to get to the site. Jonathan keeth was first to arrive and charlie shaw arrived almost immediately after, where la porte emergency response team was on site at approximately 4:45pm. An incident command structure was established immediately incident commander chad kukla safety officer jonathan keeth 1st responders maintained 100 yards distance from the valve site, staying upwind, to provide adequate safety margin. La porte fire department issued a shelter-in-place order for surrounding area residents and shut down both directions of hwy 146 and hwy 225. There were no nearby fire hydrants so a water fog to mitigate the hcl plume was not possible. Hazmat units from harris county and oxy vinyl responded to the scene, arriving at 6:21pm, baytown hazmat attempted to respond but was unable. The best method of dealing with the line was determined to be having oxy vinyl pull the line down, which was at 95 psi to start. Line fill exposure was calculated to be 57k lbs of hcl. Over the course of 1.5 hours, oxy was able to pull the line down to 13 psi, taking 38k lbs, when hazmat teams entered the site to isolate the release. The hazmat team entering the site consisted of two harris county team members leading the isolation efforts, with three oxy vinyl team members entering in assistance. Jonathan keeth provided detailed instruction of the system to the hazmat teams, laying out the correct valves to close and necessary keys for entry. At 7:01pm, site entry occurred by the hazmat teams. At 7:02pm, the first valve was closed and isolation occurred. The hazmat teams then closed the 3/4' valve on the tubing to provide additional isolation of the release. At 7:05pm, jonathon entered the site to determine the necessary tools and equipment needed to provide positive isolation. At 7:13pm, authorities released traffic in both directions of hwy 146 and hwy 225. Jonathon placed a tubing plug and threaded fitting where the tubing feral failed and let go. The tubing section which failed was removed and a new nut, feral and cap were installed. This transmitter will remain out of service until the weather breaks or a planned repair can take place on thursday, august 31, using an awning for shelter. That repair team is scheduled to be jonathon keeth and charlie shaw. At 7:25pm, all emergency responders left the site. Update 9/25/2017 tubing connections have been replaced with new components. Initial investigation shows that the tubing ferule failed, likely due to reaction with hcl product and water in atmosphere. New fittings manufactured from hastelloy material have been installed in place of monel material. |
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