NTSB Safety Recommendation P-82-020

NTSB safety recommendation P-82-020.

AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION, THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN CONGRESS ON SURVEYING AND MAPPING, AND THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS: ADVISE MEMBERS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS ACCIDENT AND URGE THEM TO INCLUDE IN THE SERVICE OF STAKING DRILLING LOCATIONS THE LOCATION OF PIPELINES WHICH MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE DRILLING LOCATION.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1982-06-09

Adopted Date: 1982-04-20

Overall Date Closed: 1983-03-08

Synopsis: ON SEPTEMBER 27, 1981, NEAR ACKERLY, TEXAS, THE CHAPPARRAL PIPELINE, A REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS 12-INCH STEEL PIPE LINE OWNED BY THE SANTA FE PIPELINE COMPANY, WAS DAMAGED BY A RATHOLE DRILL BIT; THE WALL OF THE PIPE WAS WEAKENED, AND IT RUPTURED UNDER THE 1,100 PSIG OPERATING PRESSURE. THE ETHANE-PROPANE MIXTURE IN THE PIPELINE BEGAN TO ESCAPE AND WAS IGNITED BY THE DRILLING RIG ENGINE. THE ENSUING EXPLOSION AND FIRE KILLED THREE PERSONS; CRITICALLY BURNED ONE PERSON, WHO DIED 4 DAYS LATER; DESTROYED THE RATHOLE DRILLING RIG, A PICKUP TRUCK, A ROAD GRADER, A COMPACTOR, AND 60 ACRES OF COTTON; AND BURNED 12,749 BARRELS (535,458 GALLONS) OF ETHANE-PROPANE MIXTURE. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT; THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER SIMILAR PIPELINE ACCIDENTS INVOLVING DRILLING ACTIVITIES. THE SAFETY BOARD IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE DAMAGE TO PIPELINES CAUSED BY DRILLING ACTIVITIES AND THE USE OF OUTSIDE EXCAVATION EQUIPMENT SINCE THE LOCATION OF A PIPELINE CAN BE ASCERTAINED IN SEVERAL WAYS. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE "ONE-CALL" NOTIFICATION SYSTEM HAS BEEN PROVEN; HOWEVER, NO STATEWIDE, "ONE-CALL" SYSTEM EXISTS IN TEXAS. CURRENT EFFORTS BY THE PIPELINE INDUSTRY NO FORMULATE AND IMPLEMENT A "ONE-CALL" SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF TEXAS MERIT THE SUPPORT OF THE ENTIRE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA81MP023

Report Number: PAR-82-02

Addressee Name: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1983-03-08

Addressee Acronym: ACSM

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1982-07-23

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: DIRECTOR, AMERICAN CONGRESS ON SURVEYING AND MAPPING (ACSM) LTR: IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT THE WHOLE COUNTRY IS AFFLICTED WITH THE MALADY OF THE ABSENCE OF RELIABLE AND COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY RECORDS, BE THEY FOR BOUNDARY DATA, EASEMENTS, RIGHT-OF-WAY, OR POWER LINES. PRESIDENT, ACSM LETTER: THE AMERICAN CONGRESS ON SURVEYING AND MAPPING HAS JOINED WITH THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS IN THE RECENT PUBLICATION OF A GUIDE FOR RIGHT-OF WAY SURVEYS. THE GUIDE MAKES SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DEMARCATION AND RECORDING OF RIGHTS OF WAY, BE THEY FOR PIPELINES, POWER TRANSMISSION LINES, OR OTHER UTILITIES. WHILE IT IS NOT A PANACEA FOR PAST ERRORS AND OMISSIONS, IT IS A USEFUL TOOL THAT CAN PREVENT FUTURE INCIDENTS ON ALL NEW OR REVISED RIGHTS OF WAY.

Addressee Acronym: ACSM

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1982-11-03

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Thank you for your July 23, 1982, letter in response to the National Transportation Safety Board’s Safety Recommendation P-82-20 which was developed as a result of our investigation of the pipeline explosion and fire at Ackerly, Texas, on September 27, 1981. We are pleased that you will make our recommendation available to your members and look forward to hearing from you as to the process used to bring this about. Our file for P-82-20 will be held in an “Open--Acceptable Action” status. The National Transportation Safety Board has no regulatory powers or responsibilities. Our legislation gives us the ability only to recommend actions to regulatory agencies. Your “Guide to Right-of-Way Survey Practices” has been passed on to the Research and Special Programs Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation for consideration and use in its activities in regulating the pipeline industry. Although the Safety Board does work closely with the pipeline industry through groups such as the American Gas Association, the American Petroleum Institute, the Gas Pipe Line Standards Committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Interstate Gas Association of America, among others, we suggest that it might be in the interest of pipeline safety for you to arrange to have copies of your guidebooks sent directly to each of these associations. these groups for your use. We have enclosed the listing of the addresses of Thank you again for your prompt response to our recommendation.

Addressee Name: National Society of Professional Surveyors

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1982-11-12

Addressee Acronym: NSPS

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1982-08-04

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS LETTER: THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS AT THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING HELD JULY 23 AND 24, 1982, APPROVED A RESOLUTION TO ACT IMMEDIATELY TO ADVISE OUR MEMBERSHIP OF THE NTSB RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE CHAPARRAL PIPELINE EXPLOSION AND FIRE, NTSB-PAR-82-2. WE WILL SUBMIT THE RECOMMENDATION FOR PUBLICATION BY THE AMERICAN CONGRESS ON SURVEYING AND MAPPING, AS WELL AS INSTRUCT OUR STANDARDS COMMITTEE TO DEVELOP A POSITION PAPER ON THE SUBJECT.

Addressee Acronym: NSPS

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1982-11-12

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS LETTER: YOUR RECOMMENDATION WAS PUBLISHED IN THE AUGUST ISSUE OF THE ACSM BULLETIN. WE BELIEVE THIS IMPLEMENTS THE FIRST PORTION OF YOUR RECOMMENDATION. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING THE REMAINDER OF THE RECOMMENDATION, I.E., TO URGE OUR MEMBERS TO REPORT THE LOCATION OF EXISTING SUBSTRUCTURES WHEN THEY STAKE NEW STRUCTURES THAT REQUIRE EXCAVATION OR DRILLING.

Addressee Acronym: NSPS

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1982-11-03

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Thank you for your August 4, 1962, letter in response to the National Transportation Safety Board’s Safety Recommendation P-62-20 which resulted from our investigation of the pipeline explosion and fire in Ackerly, Texas, on September 27, 1961. We appreciate the information that your Board of Directors has approved a resolution to advise your membership of the Safety Board’s recommendation and your commitment to instruct your Standards Committee to develop a position paper on locating pipelines which may be affected by drilling operations. We look forward to seeing both of these items. We will hold P-62-20 in an l’Open-Acceptable Action” status pending publication. Your cooperation and prompt attention to this matter is appreciated.

Addressee Acronym: NSPS

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1983-03-08

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The publication of the Safety Board’s letter of recommendation in the August 1982 issue of the “ACSM Bulletin” along with your commitment to urge Society and Congress members to include the location of pipelines which may be affected by drilling in the service of staking drilling locations is considered acceptable in fulfilling the intent of this Safety Recommendation. We have placed P-82-20 in a “Closed--Acceptable Action” status. We would appreciate receiving copies of any further published material relating to this Safety Recommendation. Your invitation to provide a speaker for your spring meeting in Washington, D.C., is appreciated. I have asked Mr. Barry Sweedler, Director, Bureau of Safety Programs, to coordinate the Board’s participation in this activity with you. Please contact Mr. Sweedler at your convenience at (202) 382-6560 to discuss the necessary details. Thank you for your efforts in this critical area of pipeline transportation safety.