NTSB Safety Recommendation P-87-025

NTSB safety recommendation P-87-025.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY: BEFORE ALLOWING WILLIAMS PIPE LINE COMPANY TO INCREASE THE OPERATING PRESSURE ON LINE 2N, REQUIRE THE COMPANY TO PROVIDE SCIENTIFICALLY BASED EVIDENCE THROUGH INSPECTION AND TESTING THAT CORROSION, WHICH COULD CONTRIBUTE TO FUTURE FAILURES, DOES NOT REMAIN ON THE LINE.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1987-09-09

Adopted Date: 1987-07-20

Overall Date Closed: 1991-06-05

Synopsis: ABOUT 4:20 A.M. ON JULY 8, 1986, LINE 2N, AN 8-INCH PRODUCTS PIPELINE OPERATED BY WILLIAMS PIPE LINE COMPANY (WPL) AT MOUNDS VIEW, MINNESOTA, RUPTURED. UNLEADED GASOLINE UNDER 1,434 PSIG SPEWED FROM A 7 1/2-FOOT-LONG OPENING ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL SEAM OF THE PIPE. VAPORIZED GASOLINE COMBINED WITH AIR AND LIQUID GASOLINE FLOWED ALONG NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS. ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER, THE GASOLINE VAPOR WAS IGNITED WHEN AN AUTOMOBILE ENTERED THE AREA. FOLLOWING AN EXPLOSION-LIKE NOISE, FIRE SPREAD RAPIDLY ALONG THE PATH OF THE LIQUID GASOLINE. TWO PERSONS WERE BURNED SEVERELY AND LATER DIED, AND ONE PERSON SUFFERED SERIOUS BURNS. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL PROPERTY DAMAGE AND SOIL AND WATER POLLU TION.

Ntsbnumber: DCA86AP014

Report Number: PAR-87-02

Addressee Name: RSPA

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1991-06-05

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1989-01-03

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: WITH REGARD TO SAFETY RECOMMENDATION P-87-25, RSPA'S OPS ESTABLISHED THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY ASSESSMENT TO BE PERFORMED BY WILLIAMS PIPE LINE CO. THE ORA WAS DESIGNED TO ASSURE THAT THE PIPELINE CAN CONTINUE TO BE OPERATED SAFELY. THUS, THE WORK DONE UNDER THE ORA IS INTENDED TO DETERMINE THE RATE AT WHICH ANY LATENT DEFECTS ARE GROWING AND TO REMOVE THEM.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1990-12-10

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: WILLIAMS PIPE LINE COMPANY HAS PROVIDED SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT CORROSION, WHICH COULD CONTRIBUTE TO FUTURE FAILURES, DOES NOT REMAIN ON THE #2-8" LINE FROM MINNEAPOLIS TO DULUTH/SUPERIOR. WILLIAMS HAS BEEN DILIGENT IN EVALUATING THE MOUNDS VIEW FAILURE (THROUGH THE ORA, HYDROSTATIC TESTS, INTERNAL INSPECTIONS, AND CATHODIC SYSTEM UPGRADES) AND IN ASSURING THAT THE LINE IS FREE OF FLAWS OR CORROSION THAT COULD LEAD TO FUTURE FAILURES.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1988-05-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE AUGUST 26, 1986, OPS ORDER ISSUED TO THE WILLIAMS PIPE LINE COMPANY, CALLED FOR WILLIAMS TO PROVIDE OPS WITH DATA TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE SEAM FAILURES ON THE 2N LINE. THE ORDER REQUIRED WILLIAMS ALSO TO PROVIDE A DETAILED PROGRAM OF RESEARCH TO DEVELOP FATIGUE, FRACTURE, AND CORROSION DATA ON LOW FREQUENCY ERW PIPE. THE PROGRAM DEVELOPED IS THE OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY ANALYSIS (ORA) AND FOCUSES ATTENTION ON THE CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF ERW PIPE UNDER VARYING DEGREES OF CATHODIC PROTECTION.THE RESULTS OF THE ORA WILL PROVIDE DATA FOR A DETERMINATION OF THE SAFE OPERATING LIMITS OF THE 2N LINE. ADDITIONALLY, OPS REQUIRED WILLIAMS TO PERFORM AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CORROSION CONTROL PROGRAM OF THE PIPELINE. IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ANALYSIS, WILLIAMS CONDUCTED A CLOSE INTERVAL PIPE-TO-SOIL CATHODIC PROTECTION SURVEY ON LINE 2N IN THE 10 MILE SECTION WHICH INCLUDES MOUNDS VIEW. BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THAT SURVEY, WILLIAMS EXCAVATED AND REMOVED COATING IN 18 AREAS WHERE THE CATHODIC PROTECTION DID NOT MEET THE CRITERIA, REPLACED SEVEN AREAS WITH NEW COATED PIPE, AND INSPECTED AND RECOATED THE PIPE IN THE OTHER 11 AREAS. AFTER THOSE REPAIRS, A FOLLOWUP CLOSE INTERVAL SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED IN JUNE AND JULY 1987. THAT SURVEY IDENTIFIED 15 AREAS WHERE THE CATHODIC PROTECTION PROFILE INDICATED ANOMALIES THAT WARRANTED FURTHER INVESTIGATION. ALL OF THOSE AREAS WERE EXAMINED AND 14 WERE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. THE OTHER AREA WILL BE REPAIRED IN THE SUMMER OF 1988. UPON EVALUATION OF THE ORA, THE BATTELLE REPORT, AND THE ANALYSIS OF THE TOTAL CORROSION CONTROL PROGRAM, OPS WILL DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE FUTURE SAFE OPERATING LIMITS FOR THE 2N LINE.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1988-10-12

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1989-05-19

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1991-06-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence