NTSB Safety Recommendation P-98-023

NTSB safety recommendation P-98-023.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE MARATHON ASHLAND PIPE LINE LLC: EVALUATE REMOTE & AUTOMATIC VALVE CONTROL TECHNOLOGY TO FACILITATE THE RAPID ISOLATION OF DAMAGED OR LEAKING PIPELINES, & INCORORATE THE APPROPRIATE VALVE CONTROL TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR PIPELINE SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE SEGMENTS LOCATED IN URBAN OR ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1998-09-28

Adopted Date: 1998-09-21

Overall Date Closed: 1999-04-28

Synopsis: 0N 5/23/96, A 68-MILE-LINE, 20-INCH-DIAMETER STEEL PIPELINE OWNED BY MARATHON PIPE LINE COMPANY RUPTURED AT A LOCATION NEAR GRAMERCY, LOUISIANA. THE RUPTURE WENT UNDETECTED BY THE PIPELINE CONTROLLER FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR. THE RUPTURED PIPELINE ULTIMATELY RELEASED ABOUT 475,000 GALLONS OF GASOLINE INTO A COMMON PIPELINE RIGHT-OF-WAY WITHIN A DESIGNATED "WETLAND." GASOLINE ALSO ENTERED THE BLIND RIVER, CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE & KILLING FISH, WILDLIFE, & VEGETATION IN THE AREA.

Probable Cause: Excavations of a nearby pipeline operated by LaRoche Industries, Inc., which resulted from the failure of LaRoche either to take adequate measures to ensure that excavations performed under its supervision did not damage underground utilities or to notify Marathon that those excavations may have damaged the Marathon pipeline

Keywords: Remote Operated Valves

Ntsbnumber: DCA96MP004

Report Number: PAB-98-01

Addressee Name: Marathon Pipe Line LLC

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1999-04-28

Addressee Acronym: MPL

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1998-12-30

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE BOARD UNDERSTANDS THAT, WHILE MARATHON IS EVALUATING ALL TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS THAT CAN ENHANCE SAFETY, AS WELL AS THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE SMOOTH OPERATION OF ITS PIPELINE SYSTEM, THE COMPANY HAS NOT YET REACHED A DEFINITIVE CONCLUSION ABOUT THE USE OF REMOTELY OPERATED BLOCK VALVES. PENDING FURTHER RESPONSE FROM MARATHON ON THE STATUS OF THIS EFFORT, P-98-23 IS CLASSIFIED AS "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE."

Addressee Acronym: MPL

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1999-04-28

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE SAFETY BOARD UNDERSTANDS THAT MARATHON HAS EVALUATED AVAILABLE VALVE AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THAT, USING THE EXPERIENCE IT HAS GAINED WITH THE 25 REMOTELY OPERATED BLOCK VALVES PRESENTLY IN ITS MAINLINE SYSTEM, IT IS USING RISK MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES TO EVALUATE OTHER POSSIBLE VALVE INSTALLATION SITES. FURTHER, IF MARATHON ACQUIRES THE RIGHT OF WAY TO CONSTRUCT A NEW PIPELINE FROM KENOVA, WV, TO COLUMBUS, OH, ITS CONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR THAT NEW SYSTEM INCLUDE REMOTELY OPERATED BLOCK VALVES. BASED ON THESE EFFORTS, P-98-23 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."

Addressee Acronym: MPL

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1998-10-23

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 10/27/98 5:00:07 PM MC# 981296 THE THIRD NTSB RECOMMENDATION (P-98-23) RELATES TO THE USE AND EVALUATION OF REMOTE OPERATED BLOCK VALVES. FIRST, THE NTSB INVESTIGATION DID NOT FOCUS UPON THIS ISSUE. THE ISSUE FIRST SURFACED DURING THE REVIEW OF THE DRAFT REPORTS PREPARED BY MR. DYCK OF YOUR OFFICE. THE OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY ALSO DID NOT RAISE THE ISSUE IN ITS INVESTIGATION OF THIS INCIDENT. THUS MAPL LLC DID NOT PRESENT ANY EVIDENCE OF SUBSTANCE RELATING TO THIS ISSUE TO THE NTSB DURING THE INVESTIGATION. IN MAPL LLC'S OPINION THE ABSENCE OR PRESENCE OF REMOTE OPERATED BLOCK VALVES DID NOT IMPACT THE AMOUNT OF PRODUCT RELEASED. THE PIPELINE SYSTEM THAT RUPTURED WAS RELATIVELY FLAT AND SHORT. THE SYSTEM ALSO RUPTURED VERY CLOSE TO THE PUMPING ORIGINATION LOCATION. MOST OF THE PRODUCT RELEASED OCCURRED WHILE THE PIPELINE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VOLUME LOST DUE TO "DRAIN UP" WAS ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL VOLUME RELEASED. REMOTE OPERATED BLOCK VALVES ARE NOT LEGALLY REQUIRED BY THE OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY. AN INDUSTRY STANDARD PRACTICE DOES NOT EXIST PROVIDING GUIDANCE ON THE USE, AND SAFEGUARDS FOR THEIR APPLICATION. THE USE OF SUCH VALVES HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN TO BE MATERIALLY BENEFICIAL FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT OR FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT. FURTHER, THE USE OF THESE VALVES HAVE ASSOCIATED INHERENT RISKS AS WELL. MAPL LLC IS AWARE OF INSTANCES WHERE REMOTE OPERATED BLOCK VALVES HAVE CLOSED UNCOMMANDED WHILE PIPELINES WERE IN OPERATION. LIGHTNING STRIKES HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN. WHILE MAPL LLC IS UNAWARE OF AN ACTUAL RUPTURE OR RELEASE FROM ANY PIPELINE AS A RESULT, UNCOMMANDED CLOSINGS IN SUCH SITUATIONS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS. MAPL LLC WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AND REVIEW ALL TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS THAT CAN ENHANCE THE SAFETY AND SMOOTH OPERATION OF ITS PIPELINE SYSTEMS. MAPL LLC BELIEVES THAT EACH LIQUID PIPELINE COMPANY IS IN THE BEST POSITION TO DETERMINE THE USE AND EMPLOYMENT OF REMOTE OPERATED BLOCK VALVES WITHOUT A MANDATED REQUIREMENT THAT MAY NOT MAKE SENSE IN AN INDIVIDUAL SITUATION. HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME IT HAS NOT REACHED A DEFINITIVE CONCLUSION ABOUT THE EMPLOYMENT OF REMOTE OPERATED BLOCK VALVES.

Addressee Acronym: MPL

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1999-02-19

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 2/25/99 12:59:16 PM MC# 990173 YOUR FINAL QUESTION ADDRESSED MAPL LLC'S EVALUATION OF VALVE AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY. CURRENTLY NWL LLC UTILIZES 25 REMOTELY OPERATED BLOCK VALVES IN MAINLINE APPLICATIONS THROUGHOUT ITS SYSTEMS. MAPL LLC IS USING THE EXPERIENCE GAINED WITH THESE EXISTING REMOTELY OPERATED INSTALLATIONS TO EVALUATE OTHER POSSIBLE INSTALLATIONS WHERE DICTATED BY PRUDENT RISK MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES. ALSO MAPL LLC IS IN THE PROCESS OF ACQUIRING THE RIGHT OF WAY TO CONSTRUCT A PIPELINE FROM KENOVA, WV TO COLUMBUS, OH. THE CONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR THE NEW PIPELINE INCLUDE REMOTELY OPERATED BLOCK VALVES. THE EXACT NUMBER OF VALVES IS BEING REVIEWED CURRENTLY.