Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
HL incident on 2018-11-03 — TX
Operator
Exxonmobil Pipeline Co
Cause
Equipment Failure
Commodity
Crude Oil
Program
HL
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
0 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$2,000
Incident datetime
2018-11-03 14:00
Report number
Location
TX
Narrative
On 11/3/2018 a tank mixer seal failed on tank 1995 spilling crude oil into the tank dike. The oil leaked through a pipe on the tank dike drain system and migrated to a ditch into a local retention pond. All oil was contained on site. Crews performed cleanup activities to the impacted areas. Tank 1995 crude oil was pumped down, isolated and the mixer seal was replaced with a tungsten seal as recommended by jenson mixer company and the tank dike drain line was replaced. The spill volume was calculated to be 8 barrels with .6 barrels impacting the local retention pond. All oil was recovered from the impacted areas. The site increased walk around inspections to daily monday through friday of tank dikes areas. The gearbox failure was determined to be the gearbox oil being contaminated with water following hurricane harvey flooding. After hurricane harvey, empco operations contacted the manufacture for guidance on how to best address mixers that had been flooded. Manufacture's acceptable practice and guidance was to flush the gear box oil, replacing with new oil, which empco did. Empco contacted the manufacture upon this failure and has decided, as a future step to prevent reoccurrence, is to fully replace all gearboxes flooded during hurricane harvey. Additionally the severe weather plans will be updated to reflect response procedures to gearbox flooding. The volume recovered is based on visual observations and no residual oil is present. Note that .6 bbl's went to water but in part d, 5b, the selection does not allow for an amount below 1 bbl, so 1 bbl was selected. 3/18/19 - part e #1, changed estimated pressure from 15 psig to 0 psig. Close as final.
Detailed record list
Report Received Date
2018-11-30 00:00:00
Iyear
2018
Report Number
20180373
Supplemental Number
31807
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
2018-11-03 14:33:00
Location Latitude
29.5220583
Location Longitude
-95.1065667
Commodity Released Type
Crude Oil
Unintentional Release Bbls
8
Recovered Bbls
8
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Accident Identifier
Local Operating Personnel, Including Contractors
Operator Type
Operator Employee
Incident Identified Datetime
2018-11-03 14:00:00
System Part Involved
Onshore Breakout Tank Or Storage Vessel, Including Attached Appurtenances
On Off Shore
Onshore
Shutdown Due Accident Ind
Yes
Shutdown Datetime
2018-11-04 05:00:00
Restart Datetime
2018-11-08 08:00:00
On Site Datetime
2018-11-03 14:00:00
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2018-11-03 16:00:00
Nrc Rpt Num
1229353
Ignite Ind
No
Explode Ind
No
Num Pub Evacuated
0
Pipe Fac Name
Webster Station
Segment Name
Webster Station
Onshore State Abbreviation
Tx
Onshore Postal Code
77598
Onshore City Name
Webster
Onshore County Name
Harris
Designated Location
Milepost/valve Station
Designated Name
Webster Sta
Federal
No
Location Type
Totally Contained On Operator-Controlled Property
Incident Area Type
Tank, Including Attached Appurtenances
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Interstate
Item Involved
Tank/vessel
Tank Vessel Subtype
Mixer
Tank Type
Atmospheric
Installation Year
1958
Material Involved
Material Other Than Carbon Steel
Material Details
Brass Seal On Mixer
Release Type
Leak
Leak Type
Seal Or Packing
Wildlife Impact Ind
No
Soil Contamination
Yes
Long Term Assessment
No
Remediation Ind
No
Water Contam Ind
Yes
Surface Contam Ind
Yes
Amount Released
1
Rel Water Name
Local On-Site Retention Pond.
Could Be Hca
Yes
Commodity Reached Hca
Yes
High Pop Ind
Yes
High Pop Yes No
Yes
Est Cost Oper Paid
0
Est Cost Gas Released
480
Est Cost Prop Damage
2000
Est Cost Emergency
200000
Est Cost Environmental
50000
Est Cost Other
0
Prpty
252480
Accident Psig
0
Mop Psig
0
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
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
Mechanical failure and not related to occ operations.
Employee Drug Test Ind
No
Contractor Drug Test Ind
No
Cause
Equipment Failure
Cause Details
Non-Threaded Connection Failure
Eq Failure Type
Non-Threaded Connection Failure
Other Non Threaded Ind
Seal (Not Pump Seal) Or Packing
Eq Additional Other Ind
Yes
Eq Additional Other Details
Gearbox Oil Contamination
Preparer Name
J** M*********
Preparer Title
Pipeline Safety Advisor
Preparer Email
J*****************@e*********.com
Preparer Telephone
832-624-6121
Prepared Date
2019-03-18 00:00:00
Authorizer Name
C******* B* H********
Authorizer Telephone
832-624-7920
Authorizer Title
Empco Sshe Manager
Authorizer Email
C*******************@e*********.com
Narrative
On 11/3/2018 a tank mixer seal failed on tank 1995 spilling crude oil into the tank dike. The oil leaked through a pipe on the tank dike drain system and migrated to a ditch into a local retention pond. All oil was contained on site. Crews performed cleanup activities to the impacted areas. Tank 1995 crude oil was pumped down, isolated and the mixer seal was replaced with a tungsten seal as recommended by jenson mixer company and the tank dike drain line was replaced. The spill volume was calculated to be 8 barrels with .6 barrels impacting the local retention pond. All oil was recovered from the impacted areas. The site increased walk around inspections to daily monday through friday of tank dikes areas. The gearbox failure was determined to be the gearbox oil being contaminated with water following hurricane harvey flooding. After hurricane harvey, empco operations contacted the manufacture for guidance on how to best address mixers that had been flooded. Manufacture's acceptable practice and guidance was to flush the gear box oil, replacing with new oil, which empco did. Empco contacted the manufacture upon this failure and has decided, as a future step to prevent reoccurrence, is to fully replace all gearboxes flooded during hurricane harvey. Additionally the severe weather plans will be updated to reflect response procedures to gearbox flooding. The volume recovered is based on visual observations and no residual oil is present. Note that .6 bbl's went to water but in part d, 5b, the selection does not allow for an amount below 1 bbl, so 1 bbl was selected. 3/18/19 - part e #1, changed estimated pressure from 15 psig to 0 psig. Close as final.
| Report Received Date | 2018-11-30 00:00:00 |
|---|---|
| Iyear | 2018 |
| Report Number | 20180373 |
| Supplemental Number | 31807 |
| 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 | 2018-11-03 14:33:00 |
| Location Latitude | 29.5220583 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -95.1065667 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Commodity Released Type | Crude Oil |
| Unintentional Release Bbls | 8 |
| Recovered Bbls | 8 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Accident Identifier | Local Operating Personnel, Including Contractors |
| Operator Type | Operator Employee |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2018-11-03 14:00:00 |
| System Part Involved | Onshore Breakout Tank Or Storage Vessel, Including Attached Appurtenances |
| On Off Shore | Onshore |
| Shutdown Due Accident Ind | Yes |
| Shutdown Datetime | 2018-11-04 05:00:00 |
| Restart Datetime | 2018-11-08 08:00:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2018-11-03 14:00:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2018-11-03 16:00:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1229353 NRC Report How to search |
| Ignite Ind | No |
| Explode Ind | No |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 0 |
| Pipe Fac Name | Webster Station |
| Segment Name | Webster Station |
| Onshore State Abbreviation | Tx |
| Onshore Postal Code | 77598 |
| Onshore City Name | Webster |
| Onshore County Name | Harris |
| Designated Location | Milepost/valve Station |
| Designated Name | Webster Sta |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Totally Contained On Operator-Controlled Property |
| Incident Area Type | Tank, Including Attached Appurtenances |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Interstate |
| Item Involved | Tank/vessel |
| Tank Vessel Subtype | Mixer |
| Tank Type | Atmospheric |
| Installation Year | 1958 |
| Material Involved | Material Other Than Carbon Steel |
| Material Details | Brass Seal On Mixer |
| Release Type | Leak |
| Leak Type | Seal Or Packing |
| Wildlife Impact Ind | No |
| Soil Contamination | Yes |
| Long Term Assessment | No |
| Remediation Ind | No |
| Water Contam Ind | Yes |
| Surface Contam Ind | Yes |
| Amount Released | 1 |
| Rel Water Name | Local On-Site Retention Pond. |
| Could Be Hca | Yes |
| Commodity Reached Hca | Yes |
| High Pop Ind | Yes |
| High Pop Yes No | Yes |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 0 |
| Est Cost Gas Released | 480 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 2000 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 200000 |
| Est Cost Environmental | 50000 |
| Est Cost Other | 0 |
| Prpty | 252480 |
| Accident Psig | 0 |
| Mop Psig | 0 |
| 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 | 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 | Mechanical failure and not related to occ operations. |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | No |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | No |
| Cause | Equipment Failure |
| Cause Details | Non-Threaded Connection Failure |
| Eq Failure Type | Non-Threaded Connection Failure |
| Other Non Threaded Ind | Seal (Not Pump Seal) Or Packing |
| Eq Additional Other Ind | Yes |
| Eq Additional Other Details | Gearbox Oil Contamination |
| Preparer Name | J** M********* |
| Preparer Title | Pipeline Safety Advisor |
| Preparer Email | J*****************@e*********.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 832-624-6121 |
| Prepared Date | 2019-03-18 00:00:00 |
| Authorizer Name | C******* B* H******** |
| Authorizer Telephone | 832-624-7920 |
| Authorizer Title | Empco Sshe Manager |
| Authorizer Email | C*******************@e*********.com |
| Narrative | On 11/3/2018 a tank mixer seal failed on tank 1995 spilling crude oil into the tank dike. The oil leaked through a pipe on the tank dike drain system and migrated to a ditch into a local retention pond. All oil was contained on site. Crews performed cleanup activities to the impacted areas. Tank 1995 crude oil was pumped down, isolated and the mixer seal was replaced with a tungsten seal as recommended by jenson mixer company and the tank dike drain line was replaced. The spill volume was calculated to be 8 barrels with .6 barrels impacting the local retention pond. All oil was recovered from the impacted areas. The site increased walk around inspections to daily monday through friday of tank dikes areas. The gearbox failure was determined to be the gearbox oil being contaminated with water following hurricane harvey flooding. After hurricane harvey, empco operations contacted the manufacture for guidance on how to best address mixers that had been flooded. Manufacture's acceptable practice and guidance was to flush the gear box oil, replacing with new oil, which empco did. Empco contacted the manufacture upon this failure and has decided, as a future step to prevent reoccurrence, is to fully replace all gearboxes flooded during hurricane harvey. Additionally the severe weather plans will be updated to reflect response procedures to gearbox flooding. The volume recovered is based on visual observations and no residual oil is present. Note that .6 bbl's went to water but in part d, 5b, the selection does not allow for an amount below 1 bbl, so 1 bbl was selected. 3/18/19 - part e #1, changed estimated pressure from 15 psig to 0 psig. Close as final. |
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