Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
HL incident on 2019-11-05 — NJ
Operator
Torrance Basin Pipeline Company Llc
Cause
Excavation Issue
Commodity
Crude Oil
Program
HL
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
0 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$30
Incident datetime
2019-11-05 08:24
Report number
Location
NJ
Narrative
On november 5, 2019, a construction crew was onsite performing excavation and shoring preparation activities for an out-of-service pipeline removal project at brea canyon oil facility. In the northwest corner of the trench an 18 inch straight bar bucket was used to remove loose dirt from the excavation in preparation for shoring. At approximately 0818 hrs. Pst, crews heard a loud hissing sound, followed by a crude product spray coming into the excavation from the north wall. The construction crew evacuated the excavation until safe to return. Upon return to the excavation, it was estimated that approximately 16 barrels of product was released from a 2 inch ball valve attached to the end of the pipe. Internal and external notifications were made; at approximately 0845 hrs. Pst, the national response center was notified (report #1263129) and at approximately 0854 hrs. Pst, cal oes was notified (control #19-7097). The source of the release was promptly secured by placing a ball valve on the flange where the pipe was leaking. At approximately 1025 hrs. Pst, cleanup crews arrived onsite and began recovery of product, cleanup of asphalt and removal of contaminated soil. All recovered crude oil product was reinjected into system at torrance meters. Cleanup of site was completed same day at 1700 hrs. Pst. The investigation for this incident indicates the ball valve on the end of the flange along with the pipe detail had thread damage and were miss-shaped. While it was determined that the backhoe bucket did not touch the valve, it is believed the lateral force of the soil exerted by the backhoe was the cause for the valve to break away from the flange since the backhoe bucket was operating next to the flange and valve when the release occurred. Furthermore, deviations from excavation procedures were found. The contract construction crew should have probed and hand dug the trench rather than using the backhoe bucket. Mitigative actions taken for this incident include replacing the damaged valve; a new ball valve and pipe detail were installed, which allowed work to proceed. Further, the contract construction crew has reviewed excavation procedures; contract personnel was retrained and lessons learned were compiled before resuming this type of task. On november 7, 2019, due to this incident not meeting the telephonic notification requirements, an attempt was made to correct the incident report with nrc; however, nrc indicated they were unable to make an update to the report due to the way it was inputted into the database (inputted as an incident from a fixed structure versus a pipeline). On november 8, 2019 a new report was made with nrc to correct the initial incident as a telephonic non-reportable incident (report #1263492). This concludes the causes, investigation and mitigation actions for this accident. ____________________________________________________________________________ this narrative includes a correction to the original narrative: ...Product was reinjected into the system at torrance meter station supplemental report udpdates: part a, item 4, local time and date of accident - time updated from 08:24 to 08:18
Detailed record list
Report Received Date
2019-12-05 00:00:00
Iyear
2019
Report Number
20190365
Supplemental Number
33182
Report Type
Supplemental Final
Operator Id
39532
Name
Torrance Basin Pipeline Company Llc
Operator Street Address
One Sylvan Way Second Floor
Operator City Name
Parsippany
Operator State Abbreviation
NJ
Operator Postal Code
07054
Local Datetime
2019-11-05 08:18:00
Location Latitude
33.808255
Location Longitude
-118.299813
Commodity Released Type
Crude Oil
Unintentional Release Bbls
11.02
Recovered Bbls
11.02
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Accident Identifier
Local Operating Personnel, Including Contractors
Operator Type
Contractor Working For The Operator
Incident Identified Datetime
2019-11-05 08:24:00
System Part Involved
Onshore Pipeline, Including Valve Sites
On Off Shore
Onshore
Shutdown Due Accident Ind
No
Shutdown Explain
The Pipeline Is Currently Not In Operation.
On Site Datetime
2019-11-05 08:24:00
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2019-11-05 08:45:00
Nrc Rpt Num
1263129
Ignite Ind
No
Explode Ind
No
Upstream Valve Type Ind
Manual
Downstream Valve Type Ind
Manual
Num Pub Evacuated
0
Pipe Fac Name
G-131 Joughin Lease
Segment Name
Joughin-228th & Menlo
Onshore State Abbreviation
Ca
Onshore Postal Code
90710
Onshore City Name
Harbor City
Onshore County Name
Los Angeles
Designated Location
Milepost/valve Station
Designated Name
0
Federal
No
Location Type
Pipeline Right-Of-Way
Incident Area Type
Underground
Incident Area Subtype
Exposed Due To Excavation
Depth Of Cover
60
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Intrastate
Item Involved
Valve
Valve Type
Auxiliary Or Other Valve
Installation Year
2013
Material Involved
Carbon Steel
Release Type
Other
Release Type Details
Ball Valve And Pipe Detail Were Damaged Due To Backhoe Causing Lateral Damage While Excavating.
Wildlife Impact Ind
No
Soil Contamination
Yes
Long Term Assessment
No
Remediation Ind
No
Water Contam Ind
No
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
0
Est Cost Prop Damage
30
Est Cost Emergency
12502
Est Cost Environmental
0
Est Cost Other
0
Prpty
12532
Accident Psig
0
Mop Psig
0
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Mop
Pressure Restriction Ind
No
Length Segment Isolated
Unknown
Internal Inspection Ind
No
Other Inspection Ind
Yes
Internal Inspection Details
Gathering P/l Currently Not In Operation. P/l Isolated From Mainline System.
Operation Complications Ind
Yes
Other Complications Ind
Yes
Inspect Comp Details
Gathering P/l Currently Not Operating.
Pipeline Function
=< 20% Smys Regulated Gathering
Scada In Place Ind
No
Cpm In Place Ind
No
Investigation Status
No, the facility was not monitored by a controller(s) at the time of the accident
Employee Drug Test Ind
No
Contractor Drug Test Ind
Yes
Num Contractors Tested
1
Num Contractors Failed
0
Cause
Excavation Damage
Cause Details
Excavation Damage By Operator's Contractor (Second Party)
Ex Party Type
Excavation Damage By Operator's Contractor (Second Party)
Notify Cga Dirt
No
Private Row Ind
Yes
Private Subtype
Private Business
Excavator Type
Contractor
Excavator Equipment
Backhoe/trackhoe
Work Performed
Unknown/other
One Call Notified Ind
Yes
One Call Ticket Num
192900651
One Call Center Name
Ca One-Call South
Locator Type
Unknown/other
Visible Marks
Yes
Root Cause Category
Excavation Issue
Root Cause Type
Improper Excavation Practice Not Listed Above
Preparer Name
A****** G*****
Preparer Title
Regulatory Advisor
Preparer Email
A*************@p********.com
Preparer Telephone
3102121764
Prepared Date
2020-01-13 00:00:00
Authorizer Name
T***** M*****
Authorizer Telephone
2816024224
Authorizer Title
Director Regulatory Compliance
Authorizer Email
T************@p********.com
Narrative
On november 5, 2019, a construction crew was onsite performing excavation and shoring preparation activities for an out-of-service pipeline removal project at brea canyon oil facility. In the northwest corner of the trench an 18 inch straight bar bucket was used to remove loose dirt from the excavation in preparation for shoring. At approximately 0818 hrs. Pst, crews heard a loud hissing sound, followed by a crude product spray coming into the excavation from the north wall. The construction crew evacuated the excavation until safe to return. Upon return to the excavation, it was estimated that approximately 16 barrels of product was released from a 2 inch ball valve attached to the end of the pipe. Internal and external notifications were made; at approximately 0845 hrs. Pst, the national response center was notified (report #1263129) and at approximately 0854 hrs. Pst, cal oes was notified (control #19-7097). The source of the release was promptly secured by placing a ball valve on the flange where the pipe was leaking. At approximately 1025 hrs. Pst, cleanup crews arrived onsite and began recovery of product, cleanup of asphalt and removal of contaminated soil. All recovered crude oil product was reinjected into system at torrance meters. Cleanup of site was completed same day at 1700 hrs. Pst. The investigation for this incident indicates the ball valve on the end of the flange along with the pipe detail had thread damage and were miss-shaped. While it was determined that the backhoe bucket did not touch the valve, it is believed the lateral force of the soil exerted by the backhoe was the cause for the valve to break away from the flange since the backhoe bucket was operating next to the flange and valve when the release occurred. Furthermore, deviations from excavation procedures were found. The contract construction crew should have probed and hand dug the trench rather than using the backhoe bucket. Mitigative actions taken for this incident include replacing the damaged valve; a new ball valve and pipe detail were installed, which allowed work to proceed. Further, the contract construction crew has reviewed excavation procedures; contract personnel was retrained and lessons learned were compiled before resuming this type of task. On november 7, 2019, due to this incident not meeting the telephonic notification requirements, an attempt was made to correct the incident report with nrc; however, nrc indicated they were unable to make an update to the report due to the way it was inputted into the database (inputted as an incident from a fixed structure versus a pipeline). On november 8, 2019 a new report was made with nrc to correct the initial incident as a telephonic non-reportable incident (report #1263492). This concludes the causes, investigation and mitigation actions for this accident. ____________________________________________________________________________ this narrative includes a correction to the original narrative: ...Product was reinjected into the system at torrance meter station supplemental report udpdates: part a, item 4, local time and date of accident - time updated from 08:24 to 08:18
| Report Received Date | 2019-12-05 00:00:00 |
|---|---|
| Iyear | 2019 |
| Report Number | 20190365 |
| Supplemental Number | 33182 |
| Report Type | Supplemental Final |
| Operator Id | 39532 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | Torrance Basin Pipeline Company Llc |
| Operator Street Address | One Sylvan Way Second Floor |
| Operator City Name | Parsippany |
| Operator State Abbreviation | NJ |
| Operator Postal Code | 07054 |
| Local Datetime | 2019-11-05 08:18:00 |
| Location Latitude | 33.808255 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -118.299813 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Commodity Released Type | Crude Oil |
| Unintentional Release Bbls | 11.02 |
| Recovered Bbls | 11.02 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Accident Identifier | Local Operating Personnel, Including Contractors |
| Operator Type | Contractor Working For The Operator |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2019-11-05 08:24:00 |
| System Part Involved | Onshore Pipeline, Including Valve Sites |
| On Off Shore | Onshore |
| Shutdown Due Accident Ind | No |
| Shutdown Explain | The Pipeline Is Currently Not In Operation. |
| On Site Datetime | 2019-11-05 08:24:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2019-11-05 08:45:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1263129 NRC Report How to search |
| Ignite Ind | No |
| Explode Ind | No |
| Upstream Valve Type Ind | Manual |
| Downstream Valve Type Ind | Manual |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 0 |
| Pipe Fac Name | G-131 Joughin Lease |
| Segment Name | Joughin-228th & Menlo |
| Onshore State Abbreviation | Ca |
| Onshore Postal Code | 90710 |
| Onshore City Name | Harbor City |
| Onshore County Name | Los Angeles |
| Designated Location | Milepost/valve Station |
| Designated Name | 0 |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Pipeline Right-Of-Way |
| Incident Area Type | Underground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Exposed Due To Excavation |
| Depth Of Cover | 60 |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Intrastate |
| Item Involved | Valve |
| Valve Type | Auxiliary Or Other Valve |
| Installation Year | 2013 |
| Material Involved | Carbon Steel |
| Release Type | Other |
| Release Type Details | Ball Valve And Pipe Detail Were Damaged Due To Backhoe Causing Lateral Damage While Excavating. |
| Wildlife Impact Ind | No |
| Soil Contamination | Yes |
| Long Term Assessment | No |
| Remediation Ind | No |
| Water Contam Ind | No |
| 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 | 0 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 30 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 12502 |
| Est Cost Environmental | 0 |
| Est Cost Other | 0 |
| Prpty | 12532 |
| Accident Psig | 0 |
| Mop Psig | 0 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Mop |
| Pressure Restriction Ind | No |
| Length Segment Isolated | Unknown |
| Internal Inspection Ind | No |
| Other Inspection Ind | Yes |
| Internal Inspection Details | Gathering P/l Currently Not In Operation. P/l Isolated From Mainline System. |
| Operation Complications Ind | Yes |
| Other Complications Ind | Yes |
| Inspect Comp Details | Gathering P/l Currently Not Operating. |
| Pipeline Function | =< 20% Smys Regulated Gathering |
| Scada In Place Ind | No |
| Cpm In Place Ind | No |
| Investigation Status | No, the facility was not monitored by a controller(s) at the time of the accident |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | No |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Num Contractors Tested | 1 |
| Num Contractors Failed | 0 |
| Cause | Excavation Damage |
| Cause Details | Excavation Damage By Operator's Contractor (Second Party) |
| Ex Party Type | Excavation Damage By Operator's Contractor (Second Party) |
| Notify Cga Dirt | No |
| Private Row Ind | Yes |
| Private Subtype | Private Business |
| Excavator Type | Contractor |
| Excavator Equipment | Backhoe/trackhoe |
| Work Performed | Unknown/other |
| One Call Notified Ind | Yes |
| One Call Ticket Num | 192900651 |
| One Call Center Name | Ca One-Call South |
| Locator Type | Unknown/other |
| Visible Marks | Yes |
| Root Cause Category | Excavation Issue |
| Root Cause Type | Improper Excavation Practice Not Listed Above |
| Preparer Name | A****** G***** |
| Preparer Title | Regulatory Advisor |
| Preparer Email | A*************@p********.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 3102121764 |
| Prepared Date | 2020-01-13 00:00:00 |
| Authorizer Name | T***** M***** |
| Authorizer Telephone | 2816024224 |
| Authorizer Title | Director Regulatory Compliance |
| Authorizer Email | T************@p********.com |
| Narrative | On november 5, 2019, a construction crew was onsite performing excavation and shoring preparation activities for an out-of-service pipeline removal project at brea canyon oil facility. In the northwest corner of the trench an 18 inch straight bar bucket was used to remove loose dirt from the excavation in preparation for shoring. At approximately 0818 hrs. Pst, crews heard a loud hissing sound, followed by a crude product spray coming into the excavation from the north wall. The construction crew evacuated the excavation until safe to return. Upon return to the excavation, it was estimated that approximately 16 barrels of product was released from a 2 inch ball valve attached to the end of the pipe. Internal and external notifications were made; at approximately 0845 hrs. Pst, the national response center was notified (report #1263129) and at approximately 0854 hrs. Pst, cal oes was notified (control #19-7097). The source of the release was promptly secured by placing a ball valve on the flange where the pipe was leaking. At approximately 1025 hrs. Pst, cleanup crews arrived onsite and began recovery of product, cleanup of asphalt and removal of contaminated soil. All recovered crude oil product was reinjected into system at torrance meters. Cleanup of site was completed same day at 1700 hrs. Pst. The investigation for this incident indicates the ball valve on the end of the flange along with the pipe detail had thread damage and were miss-shaped. While it was determined that the backhoe bucket did not touch the valve, it is believed the lateral force of the soil exerted by the backhoe was the cause for the valve to break away from the flange since the backhoe bucket was operating next to the flange and valve when the release occurred. Furthermore, deviations from excavation procedures were found. The contract construction crew should have probed and hand dug the trench rather than using the backhoe bucket. Mitigative actions taken for this incident include replacing the damaged valve; a new ball valve and pipe detail were installed, which allowed work to proceed. Further, the contract construction crew has reviewed excavation procedures; contract personnel was retrained and lessons learned were compiled before resuming this type of task. On november 7, 2019, due to this incident not meeting the telephonic notification requirements, an attempt was made to correct the incident report with nrc; however, nrc indicated they were unable to make an update to the report due to the way it was inputted into the database (inputted as an incident from a fixed structure versus a pipeline). On november 8, 2019 a new report was made with nrc to correct the initial incident as a telephonic non-reportable incident (report #1263492). This concludes the causes, investigation and mitigation actions for this accident. ____________________________________________________________________________ this narrative includes a correction to the original narrative: ...Product was reinjected into the system at torrance meter station supplemental report udpdates: part a, item 4, local time and date of accident - time updated from 08:24 to 08:18 |
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