NTSB Safety Recommendation P-04-011

NTSB safety recommendation P-04-011.

The National Transportation Safety Board makes the following safety recommendations to ConocoPhillips Company: Revise your emergency response plan for the Glenpool South tank farm area and similar locations where ConocoPhillips Company facilities are near electric utilities to include preplanning with nearby electric facilities.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 2004-11-04

Adopted Date: 2004-10-13

Overall Date Closed: 2005-04-27

Synopsis: On April 7, 2003, about 8:55 p.m., central daylight time, an 80,000-barrel storage tank at the ConocoPhillips Glenpool South tank farm in Glenpool, Oklahoma, exploded and burned as it was being filled with diesel. The tank, designated tank 11, had previously contained gasoline, which had been removed from the tank earlier in the day. The tank contained between 7,397 and 7,600 barrels of diesel at the time of the explosion. The resulting fire burned for about 21 hours and damaged two other storage tanks in the area. The cost of the accident, including emergency response, environmental remediation, evacuation, lost product, property damage, and claims, was $2,357,483. There were no injuries or fatalities. Nearby residents were evacuated, and schools were closed for 2 days.

Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the April 7, 2003, storage tank explosion and fire in Glenpool, Oklahoma, was ignition of a flammable fuel-air mixture within the tank by a static electricity discharge due to the improper manner in which ConocoPhillips Company conducted tank operations. Contributing to the extent of the property damage and the magnitude of the impact on the local community was the failure of American Electric Power employees to recognize the risk the tank fire posed to the nearby power lines and take effective emergency action.

Ntsbnumber: DCA03MP001

Report Number: PAR-04-02

Addressee Name: ConocoPhillips Company

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2005-04-27

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 2005-02-02

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 2/7/2005 3:09:33 PM MC# 2050046 ConocoPhillips Pipeline and Terminals Response: The below has been addressed in the Emergency Response plans across Pipeline and Terminals. · Emergency response plans have been updated to include preplanning liaison activities with electric utilities and neighboring pipeline companies. If your or members of the Safety Board have questions or comments, please feel free to contact Randy Beggs at 580-767-7101 to discuss further. Sincerely: Linus J. Schmitz, Manager, Pipeline Integrity & Reliability

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 2005-04-27

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board notes that ConocoPhillips has revised the emergency response plan for all its pipeline and terminal facilities to include preplanning liaison activities with electric utilities and neighboring pipeline companies. Accordingly, Safety Recommendation P-04-11 is classified "Closed--Acceptable Action."