Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
HL incident on 2019-11-18 — PA
Operator
Buckeye Partners, Lp
Cause
Incorrect Operation
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)
$1,062,783
Incident datetime
2019-11-18 06:50
Report number
Location
PA
Narrative
On november 18, 2019 buckeye personnel arrived on mountain road at tussey mountain to perform maintenance activities on line 720 and noticed a strong gasoline odor. They immediately notified the control center. The line was immediately shut down and isolated. Internal and external notifications were made. Emergency personnel was deployed to the site. Incident command was set up at a nearby fire station. Buckeye removed a 160-feet section and sent it to a laboratory to conduct metallurgical analysis. Line 720 was repaired and put back in service on november 28. Update may 2020: the investigation revealed that on november 15, 2019, a repair involving an a-sleeve was incorrectly performed. Update august 2020: the results of the metallurgical analysis concluded that the girth weld failed by ductile and brittle overload initiating at the hydrogen assisted cold crack (hacc), resulting in an through-wall crack from the 11:28 to 12:42 orientation (6 inches in circumferential length). The hacc was small and latent for many decades, until significant external force, likely associated with soil conditions and excavation and installation of the sleeve, was sufficient to overload the remaining pipe material. There was no evidence of crack growth by fatigue.
Detailed record list
Report Received Date
2019-12-16 00:00:00
Iyear
2019
Report Number
20190382
Supplemental Number
34807
Report Type
Supplemental Final
Operator Id
1845
Name
Buckeye Partners, Lp
Operator Street Address
The Buckeye Building 6161 Hamilton Boulevar
Operator City Name
Allentown
Operator State Abbreviation
PA
Operator Postal Code
18106
Local Datetime
2019-11-18 06:50:00
Location Latitude
40.39667
Location Longitude
-78.1825
Commodity Released Type
Refined And/or Petroleum Product (Non-Hvl) Which Is A Liquid At Ambient Conditions
Commodity Subtype
Gasoline (Non-Ethanol)
Unintentional Release Bbls
476
Recovered Bbls
238
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Accident Identifier
Local Operating Personnel, Including Contractors
Operator Type
Operator Employee
Incident Identified Datetime
2019-11-18 06:50:00
System Part Involved
Onshore Pipeline, Including Valve Sites
On Off Shore
Onshore
Shutdown Due Accident Ind
Yes
Shutdown Datetime
2019-11-18 07:06:00
Restart Datetime
2019-11-28 08:00:00
On Site Datetime
2019-11-18 06:50:00
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2019-11-18 08:31:00
Nrc Rpt Num
1264181
Ignite Ind
No
Explode Ind
No
Upstream Valve Type Ind
Manual
Downstream Valve Type Ind
Manual
Num Pub Evacuated
0
Pipe Fac Name
720
Segment Name
Mu720dt
Onshore State Abbreviation
Pa
Onshore Postal Code
16652
Onshore City Name
Marklesburg
Onshore County Name
Huntingdon
Designated Location
Milepost/valve Station
Designated Name
8992+73
Federal
No
Location Type
Pipeline Right-Of-Way
Incident Area Type
Underground
Incident Area Subtype
Under Soil
Depth Of Cover
64
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Interstate
Item Involved
Pipe
Pipe Type
Pipe Body
Pipe Diameter
20
Pipe Wall Thickness
0.281
Pipe Smys
52000
Pipe Specification
X52 Grade
Pipe Seam Type
Seamless
Pipe Manufacturer
National Tube
Pipe Coating Type
Coal Tar
Installation Year
1958
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
No
Water Contam Ind
No
Could Be Hca
No
Commodity Reached Hca
No
Est Cost Oper Paid
120000
Est Cost Gas Released
65000
Est Cost Prop Damage
1062783
Est Cost Emergency
2082831
Est Cost Environmental
4165662
Est Cost Other
0
Prpty
7496276
Accident Psig
500
Mop Psig
790
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Mop
Pressure Restriction Ind
No
Length Segment Isolated
36960
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
Yes
Cpm Operating Ind
Yes
Cpm Functional Ind
Yes
Cpm Detection Ind
No
Cpm Conf Ind
No
Investigation Status
Yes, but the investigation of the control room and/or controller actions has not yet been completed by the operator (supplemental report required)
Employee Drug Test Ind
Yes
Contractor Drug Test Ind
Yes
Num Employees Tested
1
Num Employees Failed
0
Num Contractors Tested
1
Num Contractors Failed
0
Cause
Incorrect Operation
Cause Details
Equipment Not Installed Properly
Operation Type
Equipment Not Installed Properly
Related Inadequate Proc Ind
Yes
Category Type
Other Maintenance
Operator Qualification Ind
Yes
Qualified Individuals
Yes, They Were Qualified For The Task(S)
Preparer Name
D***** R******
Preparer Title
District Compliance Specialist
Preparer Email
D*******@b******.com
Preparer Telephone
412 216-2864
Prepared Date
2021-02-04 00:00:00
Authorizer Name
C****** P********
Authorizer Telephone
610 904-4113
Authorizer Title
Director Regulatory Compliance
Authorizer Email
C*********@b******.com
Narrative
On november 18, 2019 buckeye personnel arrived on mountain road at tussey mountain to perform maintenance activities on line 720 and noticed a strong gasoline odor. They immediately notified the control center. The line was immediately shut down and isolated. Internal and external notifications were made. Emergency personnel was deployed to the site. Incident command was set up at a nearby fire station. Buckeye removed a 160-feet section and sent it to a laboratory to conduct metallurgical analysis. Line 720 was repaired and put back in service on november 28. Update may 2020: the investigation revealed that on november 15, 2019, a repair involving an a-sleeve was incorrectly performed. Update august 2020: the results of the metallurgical analysis concluded that the girth weld failed by ductile and brittle overload initiating at the hydrogen assisted cold crack (hacc), resulting in an through-wall crack from the 11:28 to 12:42 orientation (6 inches in circumferential length). The hacc was small and latent for many decades, until significant external force, likely associated with soil conditions and excavation and installation of the sleeve, was sufficient to overload the remaining pipe material. There was no evidence of crack growth by fatigue.
| Report Received Date | 2019-12-16 00:00:00 |
|---|---|
| Iyear | 2019 |
| Report Number | 20190382 |
| Supplemental Number | 34807 |
| Report Type | Supplemental Final |
| Operator Id | 1845 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | Buckeye Partners, Lp |
| Operator Street Address | The Buckeye Building 6161 Hamilton Boulevar |
| Operator City Name | Allentown |
| Operator State Abbreviation | PA |
| Operator Postal Code | 18106 |
| Local Datetime | 2019-11-18 06:50:00 |
| Location Latitude | 40.39667 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -78.1825 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Commodity Released Type | Refined And/or Petroleum Product (Non-Hvl) Which Is A Liquid At Ambient Conditions |
| Commodity Subtype | Gasoline (Non-Ethanol) |
| Unintentional Release Bbls | 476 |
| Recovered Bbls | 238 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Accident Identifier | Local Operating Personnel, Including Contractors |
| Operator Type | Operator Employee |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2019-11-18 06:50:00 |
| System Part Involved | Onshore Pipeline, Including Valve Sites |
| On Off Shore | Onshore |
| Shutdown Due Accident Ind | Yes |
| Shutdown Datetime | 2019-11-18 07:06:00 |
| Restart Datetime | 2019-11-28 08:00:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2019-11-18 06:50:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2019-11-18 08:31:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1264181 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 | 720 |
| Segment Name | Mu720dt |
| Onshore State Abbreviation | Pa |
| Onshore Postal Code | 16652 |
| Onshore City Name | Marklesburg |
| Onshore County Name | Huntingdon |
| Designated Location | Milepost/valve Station |
| Designated Name | 8992+73 |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Pipeline Right-Of-Way |
| Incident Area Type | Underground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Under Soil |
| Depth Of Cover | 64 |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Interstate |
| Item Involved | Pipe |
| Pipe Type | Pipe Body |
| Pipe Diameter | 20 |
| Pipe Wall Thickness | 0.281 |
| Pipe Smys | 52000 |
| Pipe Specification | X52 Grade |
| Pipe Seam Type | Seamless |
| Pipe Manufacturer | National Tube |
| Pipe Coating Type | Coal Tar |
| Installation Year | 1958 |
| 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 | No |
| Water Contam Ind | No |
| Could Be Hca | No |
| Commodity Reached Hca | No |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 120000 |
| Est Cost Gas Released | 65000 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 1062783 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 2082831 |
| Est Cost Environmental | 4165662 |
| Est Cost Other | 0 |
| Prpty | 7496276 |
| Accident Psig | 500 |
| Mop Psig | 790 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Mop |
| Pressure Restriction Ind | No |
| Length Segment Isolated | 36960 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Cpm Operating Ind | Yes |
| Cpm Functional Ind | Yes |
| Cpm Detection Ind | No |
| Cpm Conf Ind | No |
| Investigation Status | Yes, but the investigation of the control room and/or controller actions has not yet been completed by the operator (supplemental report required) |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Num Employees Tested | 1 |
| Num Employees Failed | 0 |
| Num Contractors Tested | 1 |
| Num Contractors Failed | 0 |
| Cause | Incorrect Operation |
| Cause Details | Equipment Not Installed Properly |
| Operation Type | Equipment Not Installed Properly |
| Related Inadequate Proc Ind | Yes |
| Category Type | Other Maintenance |
| Operator Qualification Ind | Yes |
| Qualified Individuals | Yes, They Were Qualified For The Task(S) |
| Preparer Name | D***** R****** |
| Preparer Title | District Compliance Specialist |
| Preparer Email | D*******@b******.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 412 216-2864 |
| Prepared Date | 2021-02-04 00:00:00 |
| Authorizer Name | C****** P******** |
| Authorizer Telephone | 610 904-4113 |
| Authorizer Title | Director Regulatory Compliance |
| Authorizer Email | C*********@b******.com |
| Narrative | On november 18, 2019 buckeye personnel arrived on mountain road at tussey mountain to perform maintenance activities on line 720 and noticed a strong gasoline odor. They immediately notified the control center. The line was immediately shut down and isolated. Internal and external notifications were made. Emergency personnel was deployed to the site. Incident command was set up at a nearby fire station. Buckeye removed a 160-feet section and sent it to a laboratory to conduct metallurgical analysis. Line 720 was repaired and put back in service on november 28. Update may 2020: the investigation revealed that on november 15, 2019, a repair involving an a-sleeve was incorrectly performed. Update august 2020: the results of the metallurgical analysis concluded that the girth weld failed by ductile and brittle overload initiating at the hydrogen assisted cold crack (hacc), resulting in an through-wall crack from the 11:28 to 12:42 orientation (6 inches in circumferential length). The hacc was small and latent for many decades, until significant external force, likely associated with soil conditions and excavation and installation of the sleeve, was sufficient to overload the remaining pipe material. There was no evidence of crack growth by fatigue. |
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