Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
HL incident on 2018-11-30 — TX
Operator
Express Holdings (Usa), Llc
Cause
Incorrect Operation
Commodity
Crude Oil
Program
HL
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
0 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$0
Incident datetime
2018-11-30 01:05
Report number
Location
TX
Narrative
On november 30, 2018 at 12:34 am cst the edmonton control center (ecc) was in the process of restarting line 41 after an unrelated shutdown when it received a high-high sump alarm at the hiawatha station. Line 41 was shut down and isolated as a precaution. The ecc notified the on-call operations technician to investigate the sump at hiawatha station. The technician arrived onsite at 1:05 am cst and discovered approximately 10 barrels of crude oil on the ground. Initial observations confirmed that the release point was an overflow of the sump. Operations personnel from platte, along with personnel from key were dispatched immediately. Spill contractors were requested to assist with the clean-up. The nrc was notified at 3:15 am cst on november 30, 2018 (nrc#1231673) when it was determined that costs could exceed the $50,000 threshold due to the volume out and cost of clean-up. The 48 hour update to the nrc was made at 6:32 pm cst on december 1, 2018 (nrc#1231818). Upon investigation, the cause of the release was determined to be a drain valve on the suction side of a pump unit that was partially open which led to the sump overflow. The ecc did not detect an issue until the sump high-high alarm was signaled. The evidence is inconclusive on exactly when and how the valve was partially opened. However, it appears that the valve became partially opened sometime during the unrelated shutdown and went unnoticed until the ecc began to restart line 41. Approximately 467 tons of contaminated soil has been properly disposed of at an approved landfill. No product was returned to the system and was recovered as part of the contaminated soil. The high costs associated with this release were due to poor weather conditions (rain and snow) which created additional materials that had to be put into roll off containers along with hydrovac excavation within the station that also added additional materials for roll offs. This also included sampling of all the containers prior to hauling the material off site. In addition, more soil was excavated than normal. The high volume of hydrovac slurry required several slurry pits and then handling the slurry.
Detailed record list
Report Received Date
2018-12-19 00:00:00
Iyear
2018
Report Number
20180393
Supplemental Number
31376
Report Type
Supplemental Final
Operator Id
31720
Name
Express Holdings (Usa), Llc
Operator Street Address
915 N Eldridge Parkway, Suite 1100
Operator City Name
Houston
Operator State Abbreviation
TX
Operator Postal Code
77079
Local Datetime
2018-11-30 00:34:00
Location Latitude
39.784705
Location Longitude
-95.518301
Commodity Released Type
Crude Oil
Unintentional Release Bbls
10
Recovered Bbls
10
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Accident Identifier
Cpm Leak Detection System Or Scada-Based Information (Such As Alarm(S), Alert(S), Event(S), And/or Volume Calculations)
Incident Identified Datetime
2018-11-30 01:05:00
System Part Involved
Onshore Pump/meter Station Equipment And Piping
On Off Shore
Onshore
Shutdown Due Accident Ind
Yes
Shutdown Datetime
2018-11-30 00:34:00
Restart Datetime
2018-11-30 13:03:00
On Site Datetime
2018-11-30 01:05:00
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2018-11-30 03:15:00
Nrc Rpt Num
1231673
Ignite Ind
No
Explode Ind
No
Num Pub Evacuated
0
Pipe Fac Name
Hiawatha Station
Segment Name
Line 41b
Onshore State Abbreviation
Ks
Onshore Postal Code
66434
Onshore City Name
Hiawatha
Onshore County Name
Brown
Designated Location
Milepost/valve Station
Designated Name
Hiawatha
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
Sump
Installation Year
1952
Material Involved
Carbon Steel
Release Type
Overfill Or Overflow
Wildlife Impact Ind
No
Soil Contamination
Yes
Long Term Assessment
Yes
Remediation Ind
No
Water Contam Ind
No
Could Be Hca
Yes
Commodity Reached Hca
No
Est Cost Oper Paid
0
Est Cost Gas Released
366
Est Cost Prop Damage
0
Est Cost Emergency
828000
Est Cost Environmental
203000
Est Cost Other
0
Prpty
1031366
Accident Psig
0
Mop Psig
275
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
Yes
Scada Conf Ind
No
Cpm In Place Ind
Yes
Cpm Operating Ind
Yes
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
There was no controller involvement with the equipment that caused the release
Employee Drug Test Ind
Yes
Contractor Drug Test Ind
Yes
Num Employees Tested
2
Num Employees Failed
0
Num Contractors Tested
5
Num Contractors Failed
0
Cause
Incorrect Operation
Cause Details
Tank, Vessel, Or Sump/separator Allowed Or Caused To Overfill Or Overflow
Operation Type
Tank, Vessel, Or Sump/separator Allowed Or Caused To Overfill Or Overflow
Overflow Other Ind
Valve Misalignment
Related Other Ind
Yes
Operation Related Details
Improper Valve Position
Category Type
Normal Operating Conditions
Operator Qualification Ind
No
Preparer Name
S**** S****
Preparer Title
Sr Compliance Analyst
Preparer Email
S**********@e*******.com
Preparer Telephone
715-395-3620
Prepared Date
2018-12-20 00:00:00
Authorizer Name
R** C*******
Authorizer Telephone
715-395-3619
Authorizer Title
Supervisor Us Pipeline Compliance
Authorizer Email
R***********@e*******.com
Narrative
On november 30, 2018 at 12:34 am cst the edmonton control center (ecc) was in the process of restarting line 41 after an unrelated shutdown when it received a high-high sump alarm at the hiawatha station. Line 41 was shut down and isolated as a precaution. The ecc notified the on-call operations technician to investigate the sump at hiawatha station. The technician arrived onsite at 1:05 am cst and discovered approximately 10 barrels of crude oil on the ground. Initial observations confirmed that the release point was an overflow of the sump. Operations personnel from platte, along with personnel from key were dispatched immediately. Spill contractors were requested to assist with the clean-up. The nrc was notified at 3:15 am cst on november 30, 2018 (nrc#1231673) when it was determined that costs could exceed the $50,000 threshold due to the volume out and cost of clean-up. The 48 hour update to the nrc was made at 6:32 pm cst on december 1, 2018 (nrc#1231818). Upon investigation, the cause of the release was determined to be a drain valve on the suction side of a pump unit that was partially open which led to the sump overflow. The ecc did not detect an issue until the sump high-high alarm was signaled. The evidence is inconclusive on exactly when and how the valve was partially opened. However, it appears that the valve became partially opened sometime during the unrelated shutdown and went unnoticed until the ecc began to restart line 41. Approximately 467 tons of contaminated soil has been properly disposed of at an approved landfill. No product was returned to the system and was recovered as part of the contaminated soil. The high costs associated with this release were due to poor weather conditions (rain and snow) which created additional materials that had to be put into roll off containers along with hydrovac excavation within the station that also added additional materials for roll offs. This also included sampling of all the containers prior to hauling the material off site. In addition, more soil was excavated than normal. The high volume of hydrovac slurry required several slurry pits and then handling the slurry.
| Report Received Date | 2018-12-19 00:00:00 |
|---|---|
| Iyear | 2018 |
| Report Number | 20180393 |
| Supplemental Number | 31376 |
| Report Type | Supplemental Final |
| Operator Id | 31720 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | Express Holdings (Usa), Llc |
| Operator Street Address | 915 N Eldridge Parkway, Suite 1100 |
| Operator City Name | Houston |
| Operator State Abbreviation | TX |
| Operator Postal Code | 77079 |
| Local Datetime | 2018-11-30 00:34:00 |
| Location Latitude | 39.784705 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -95.518301 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Commodity Released Type | Crude Oil |
| Unintentional Release Bbls | 10 |
| Recovered Bbls | 10 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Accident Identifier | Cpm Leak Detection System Or Scada-Based Information (Such As Alarm(S), Alert(S), Event(S), And/or Volume Calculations) |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2018-11-30 01:05:00 |
| System Part Involved | Onshore Pump/meter Station Equipment And Piping |
| On Off Shore | Onshore |
| Shutdown Due Accident Ind | Yes |
| Shutdown Datetime | 2018-11-30 00:34:00 |
| Restart Datetime | 2018-11-30 13:03:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2018-11-30 01:05:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2018-11-30 03:15:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1231673 NRC Report How to search |
| Ignite Ind | No |
| Explode Ind | No |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 0 |
| Pipe Fac Name | Hiawatha Station |
| Segment Name | Line 41b |
| Onshore State Abbreviation | Ks |
| Onshore Postal Code | 66434 |
| Onshore City Name | Hiawatha |
| Onshore County Name | Brown |
| Designated Location | Milepost/valve Station |
| Designated Name | Hiawatha |
| 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 | Sump |
| Installation Year | 1952 |
| Material Involved | Carbon Steel |
| Release Type | Overfill Or Overflow |
| Wildlife Impact Ind | No |
| Soil Contamination | Yes |
| Long Term Assessment | Yes |
| Remediation Ind | No |
| Water Contam Ind | No |
| Could Be Hca | Yes |
| Commodity Reached Hca | No |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 0 |
| Est Cost Gas Released | 366 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 0 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 828000 |
| Est Cost Environmental | 203000 |
| Est Cost Other | 0 |
| Prpty | 1031366 |
| Accident Psig | 0 |
| Mop Psig | 275 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Scada Conf Ind | No |
| Cpm In Place Ind | Yes |
| Cpm Operating Ind | Yes |
| 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 | There was no controller involvement with the equipment that caused the release |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Num Employees Tested | 2 |
| Num Employees Failed | 0 |
| Num Contractors Tested | 5 |
| Num Contractors Failed | 0 |
| Cause | Incorrect Operation |
| Cause Details | Tank, Vessel, Or Sump/separator Allowed Or Caused To Overfill Or Overflow |
| Operation Type | Tank, Vessel, Or Sump/separator Allowed Or Caused To Overfill Or Overflow |
| Overflow Other Ind | Valve Misalignment |
| Related Other Ind | Yes |
| Operation Related Details | Improper Valve Position |
| Category Type | Normal Operating Conditions |
| Operator Qualification Ind | No |
| Preparer Name | S**** S**** |
| Preparer Title | Sr Compliance Analyst |
| Preparer Email | S**********@e*******.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 715-395-3620 |
| Prepared Date | 2018-12-20 00:00:00 |
| Authorizer Name | R** C******* |
| Authorizer Telephone | 715-395-3619 |
| Authorizer Title | Supervisor Us Pipeline Compliance |
| Authorizer Email | R***********@e*******.com |
| Narrative | On november 30, 2018 at 12:34 am cst the edmonton control center (ecc) was in the process of restarting line 41 after an unrelated shutdown when it received a high-high sump alarm at the hiawatha station. Line 41 was shut down and isolated as a precaution. The ecc notified the on-call operations technician to investigate the sump at hiawatha station. The technician arrived onsite at 1:05 am cst and discovered approximately 10 barrels of crude oil on the ground. Initial observations confirmed that the release point was an overflow of the sump. Operations personnel from platte, along with personnel from key were dispatched immediately. Spill contractors were requested to assist with the clean-up. The nrc was notified at 3:15 am cst on november 30, 2018 (nrc#1231673) when it was determined that costs could exceed the $50,000 threshold due to the volume out and cost of clean-up. The 48 hour update to the nrc was made at 6:32 pm cst on december 1, 2018 (nrc#1231818). Upon investigation, the cause of the release was determined to be a drain valve on the suction side of a pump unit that was partially open which led to the sump overflow. The ecc did not detect an issue until the sump high-high alarm was signaled. The evidence is inconclusive on exactly when and how the valve was partially opened. However, it appears that the valve became partially opened sometime during the unrelated shutdown and went unnoticed until the ecc began to restart line 41. Approximately 467 tons of contaminated soil has been properly disposed of at an approved landfill. No product was returned to the system and was recovered as part of the contaminated soil. The high costs associated with this release were due to poor weather conditions (rain and snow) which created additional materials that had to be put into roll off containers along with hydrovac excavation within the station that also added additional materials for roll offs. This also included sampling of all the containers prior to hauling the material off site. In addition, more soil was excavated than normal. The high volume of hydrovac slurry required several slurry pits and then handling the slurry. |
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