# SEA ROBIN PIPELINE CO — Warning Letter

**Citation:** CPF 420122001W  
**Type / status:** enforcement / historical  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2012-07-16

CLOSED warning letter citing 192.605(a).

## Document text

Warning Letter involving SEA ROBIN PIPELINE CO. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 192.605(a). The case was opened on 2012-07-16 and is reported as closed as of 2012-07-16. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.

Official case documents:

420122001W_Warning_07162012.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/420122001W/420122001W_Warning_07162012.pdf

420122001W_Warning_07162012_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/420122001W/420122001W_Warning_07162012_text.pdf

420122001W_Warning_07162012_text.pdf

WARNING LETTER
CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
July 16, 2012
Mr. Eric Amundsen
Vice President of Technical Services
Sea Robin Pipeline Company
5444 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77056-5306
CPF 4-2012-2001W
Dear Mr. Amundsen:
Between October 2011 and February 2012, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration (PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code inspected the
documentation of the re-route of Sea Robin Transmission pipeline #709. This pipeline is located in the
Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana.
As a result of the inspection, it appears that you have committed a probable violation of the Pipeline
Safety Regulations, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. The item inspected and the probable violation
is:
1. §192.605 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies
(a) General. Each operator shall prepare and follow for each pipeline, a manual of
written procedures for conducting operations and maintenance activities and for
emergency response. For transmission lines, the manual must also include procedures for
handling abnormal operations. This manual must be reviewed and updated by the
operator at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least one each calendar year. This
manual must be prepared before operations of a pipeline system commence. Appropriate
parts of the manual must be kept at locations where operations and maintenance activities
are conducted.



Sea Robin failed to follow their procedures while conducting hydrostatic pressure tests on several
sections of the replacement pipe for the re-route of pipeline #709. Sea Robin abandoned
approximately 843 feet of 24 inch pipe replacing it with approximately 1210 feet of like pipe.
The abandonment/replacement was performed to re-route pipeline #709 (segment #3330) around
the toppled Devon platform, Eugene Island 330A. During the review of construction records for
this re-route, it was noted that three pressure tests performed by Pipeline Services International
(PSI) did not follow the Panhandle Energy procedures. PSI was a contractor working for Sea
Robin. The Panhandle Energy Standard Operating Procedure SOP I.19 Pressure Testing, section
7.1.8 Pressurizing, step 9 states, ‘HOLD the P (leak test) for 15 minutes with no pressure loss.
RECORD readings every 5 minutes during the initial leak test’. After the leak test is completed
and the desired test pressure has been achieved, the pressure test begins. Step 17 further states,
‘RECORD the deadweight pressures and ambient temperatures at regular intervals not to exceed
15 minutes’. In all three hydrostatic pressure tests, the initial leak test was not documented as
required by the procedure. Pressure readings were not documented every 5 minutes. One reading
was taken on the 15-minute interval. Beyond the two-hour stabilization period of the three
pressure tests, the deadweight pressures and ambient temperature readings were recorded every
30 minutes. The requirement was not to exceed an interval of 15 minutes for recording the
pressure and temperature readings.
Under 49 United States Code, § 60122, you are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $100,000
for each violation for each day the violation persists up to a maximum of $1,000,000 for any
related series of violations. We have reviewed the circumstances and supporting documents
involved in this case, and have decided not to conduct additional enforcement action or penalty
assessment proceedings at this time. We advise you to correct the item(s) identified in this letter.
Failure to do so will result in Sea Robin subject to additional enforcement action.
No reply to this letter is required. If you choose to reply, in your correspondence please refer to
CPF 4-2012-2001W. Be advised that all material you submit in response to this enforcement
action is subject to being made publicly available. If you believe that any portion of your
responsive material qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b), along with the
complete original document you must provide a second copy of the document with the portions
you believe qualify for confidential treatment redacted and an explanation of why you believe
the redacted information qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b).
Sincerely,
R. M. Seeley
Director, Southwest Region
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Enclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Compliance Proceedings
2

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/420122001W>
- Source ID: `phmsa-enforcement`
- SHA-256: `a1d2e1636e9342f311b919cbce8a60f4e89ef3497b4853098b4378ae049a56ea`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:44:44.458Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T14:25:35.626Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-enforcement-420122001w`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "cpf": "420122001W",
  "operator": "SEA ROBIN PIPELINE CO",
  "region": "Southwest",
  "pipelineType": "GAS INTRASTATE OFFSHORE",
  "caseStatus": "CLOSED",
  "citedSections": [
    "192.605(a)"
  ],
  "dataAsOf": "08/04/2026 12PM",
  "caseDataAsOf": "2026-08-04",
  "attachmentCount": 2,
  "attachments": [
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      "name": "420122001W_Warning_07162012.pdf",
      "url": "https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/420122001W/420122001W_Warning_07162012.pdf",
      "bytes": 91266,
      "category": "agency_document"
    },
    {
      "name": "420122001W_Warning_07162012_text.pdf",
      "url": "https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/420122001W/420122001W_Warning_07162012_text.pdf",
      "bytes": 20693,
      "category": "agency_document"
    }
  ],
  "extractedAgencyDocumentCount": 1,
  "attachmentPolicy": "Official attachment links are retained. Agency-issued documents may also include a verified local PDF and page-level text representation.",
  "jurisdiction": "US",
  "operatorName": "SEA ROBIN PIPELINE CO"
}
```
