NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-71-006

Page 1Official PDFIf I .. NATIONAL STATES OF AMtRl T R A ~ S P O ~ ? A ~ I Q ~ SAFETY WASHINGTON, D.C. BOARD ISSUED: A p r i l 2 7 , 1971 Adopted by the NATIONAL. TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD a t i t s o f f i c e i n Washington, 0 . C. on t h e 1 9 t h day of A p r i l , 1971. (second r e v i s i o n ) .................................... FORWARDED TO: ) Mr. Dean B. Taylor ) Executive Vice P r e s i d e n t ) P h i l l i p s P i p e Line Company 1 B a r t l e s v i l l e , Oklahoma 74003 ) 1 - SAFETY RECOMMENDATION P-71-6 T h i s s a f e t y recommendation r e s u l t s from t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n r o d u c t s p i p e l i n e a c c i d e n t i n F r a n k l i n County, Missouri, on December 9, 970, i n v o l v i n g a p i p e l i n e owned and o p e r a t e d by t h e P h i l l i p s o f a P i p e Line Company. T h e N a t i o n a l T r a n s p o r t a t i o n S a f e t y Board h a s noted P h i l l i p s Pipe Line Company's d e c i s i o n t o reducc t h e p r e s s u r e s on the "A" l i n e between P a o l a , Kansas, and East S t . Louis, I l l i n o i s , so t h a t t h e maximum p r e s s u r e which can be imposed a t t h e p o i n t o f t h e a c c i d e n t will be 777 p . s . i . g . , ' n s t e a d of t h e 942 p.s.i.g. p r e s e n t a t t h e time o f f a i l u r e on necembcr 9, 1970. The Board concurs t h a t t h e lower p r e s s u r e should reduce t h e r i s k o f seam s p l i t s i n t h i s p a r t o f t h e l i n c , and tcnd t o prevent r e p e t i t i o n oT thc- l o s s e s r e s u l t i n g trom s e v e r a l f i r e s and e x p l o s i o n s t h a t have o c c u r r e d i n h i s s e c t i o n between 1965 and 1970. It i s noted, however, t h a t w h i l e t h e o p e r a t i n g p r e s s u r e s on t h e Borger, Texas, t o P a o h , Kansas, s e c t i o n o f t h e l i n e have been l o v e r e d somewhat, n e c e s s i t a t e d by t h e reduced throughput i n t h e Paola t o E a s t S t . L o i ~ i s s e c t i o n , t h e p r e s s u r e s a r e s t i l l above t h o s e i n t h e l a t t e r s e c t i o n . This i s S O even though t h e p i p e i n both s e c t i o n s i s the same z g ? and most 01 it i s o f t h e same manufacture. We r e c o g n i z e t h a t t h e r e were [ewer s p l i t - s e a m I a i l u r e s per mile i n t h e l i n e between Borger and Paola t h a n i n t h e l i n e between Paola and E a s t S L . Louis, both d u r i n g t h e i n i t i a l h y d r o s L a t i c L e s t i n g performed i n 1931, and i n t h e p e r i o d between 1965 .ind 1970. However, t h e Board n o t e s t h d L Lhe seam f a i l u r e r a t e of t h e l i n e between Borger .ind Paola t o r 1965 t o 1970 i s one f a i l u r e per y e a r Tor each 499 m i l e s oE l i n e . T h i s compares w i t h a n industrywide p i p e seam f a i l u r e r a t e f o r 1968 and 1969 o f one f a i l u r e p e r y c a r f o r each 5,486 m i l e s of p i p e . These f a i l u r e r a t e s f o r t h i s l i n e and t h e i n d u s t r y have been detcrniincd h y u s i n g t h e maximum number ot y e a r s f o r which r e c o r d s o f f a i l u r e a r e a v a i l a b l e f o r each. I 1183#

Page 2- 2 - Ihc i c a m f a i l u r e r a t e o f t h e Rorger-Paola s e c t i o n i. m u c h h i s h c r than t h a t o t tlie i n d u s t r y i n g e n e r a l . Thus, :ure has been reduced on t h e Paola-East S t . Louis sc Tiqrier f a i l u r e r a t e e x i s t e d , t h e p r e s s u r e rcmains a t t h e tile aorger-Paola s e c t i o n . Attached a r e d a t a used i n t h i The Board t h e r e f o r e recommends, because o f t h e r i s k - L, , t h a t : The P h i l l i p s P i p e Line Company a l s o p l a c e a restri on t h e o p e r a t i n g pressures o f t h e remainder of t h e p z p e e x t e n d i n g from Borger, Texas, t o E a s t St. Louis, I l l i n o i s T h i s r e s t r i c t i o n should have t h e e f f e c t of providing f o r maximum d i s c h a r g e p r e s s u r e of 900 p , s . i . g . a t each oE t h pump s t a t i o n s on t h e l i n e between Borger and E a s t S t . Loui This r e s t r i c t i o n need n o t a p p l y t o t h e Borger pump s t a t i o n due t o t h e f a c t t h a t t h e p i p e between Borger and t h e n e x t pump s t a t i o n i s of a never and d i f f e r e n t type. The S a f e t y Board c o n s i d e r s t h i s t o be a n i n t e r i m completion of t h e B o a r d ' s c u r r e n t i n v e s t i g a t i o n and u n t i l measures adequate t o i n s u r e s a f e o p e r a t i o n s have been d e t This recommendation will be r e l e a s e d t o t h e p u b l i c on shown above. No p u b l i c d i s s e m i n a t i o n of t h e c o n t e n t s h e made p r i o r t o t h a t d a t e . Ne a r e sending a copy o f t h i s l e t t e r t F e d e r a l R a i l r o a d A d m i n i s t r a t i o n and t h e O f f i c e of P i p o f T r a n s p o r t a t i o n . Reed, Chairman; L a u r e l , McAdams, Thayer and Burgess, i n t h e above recommendation. BY A t tnchment#

Page 3ATTACIIMENT 191% 1969 S t a t i s t i c s Accidents r e s u l t i n g from d e f e c t i v e p i p e seams &/ Number o f miles o f l i q u i d petroleum p i p e l i n e s I/ R e s u l t a n t number of miles p e r d e f e c t i v e p i p e seam a c c i d e n t S t a t i s t i c s Accidents r e s u l t i n g from d e f e c t i v e p i p e seams J/ Number of miles of l i q u i d petroleum p i p e l i n e s 21 R e s u l t a n t number of miles per d e f e c t i v e p i p e seam a c c i d e n t Average annual i n d u s t r y - w i d e number of miles per a c c i d e n t based on t h e c a l e n d a r d e f e c t i v e pipe seam y e a r s of 1968 and 1969 Accidents r e s u l t i n g from d e f e c t i v e pipe seams i n t h e P h i l l i p s Pipe Line Company's "A" l i n e from Borger, Texas, t o Paola, Kansas, from 1965 through L970 i n c l u s i v e 31 liorger t o Paola = 416 miles > 5 d e f e c t i v e p i p e seam a c c i d e n t s x G years = 499 m i l e s j d e f e c t i v e p i p e seam a c c i d e n t l y e a r Average annual number of imilesldefective p i p e seam a c c i d e n t i n t h e Rorger t o Paola s e c t i o n of P h i l l i p s P i p e L i n e Company's "A" l i n e 'The a n n u a l d e f e c t i v e p i p e seam a c c i d e n t rate i n t h e Eorger t o Paola "A" l i n e is 11 times that of t h e com- parab1.e indus try-wide rate 3 1 169307 5461 31 170624 5510 5486 $99 - I / Information o b t a i n e d iroai e x h i b i t 1 G "Summary of Liquid i'ipf Line Accidents Reported O n IWI' Forni 7000-1 From lanuary I., 1'168, Through Decemher 3 1 , Z!I68. - 1_/ Information o b t a i n e d from" ) ' r a n s p o r t a t i o n S t x i t i s t i c s , Part O i l P i p e Lines", prepared by t h e Bureau of Accounts, I n t e r - s t a t e Commerce Conimis s i o n " 6,#

Page 43/ Information obtained from exhibit IG-1 "Summary of Liquid 1969, Through December 31, 1969. Pipeline Accidents Reported on DOT Form 7000-1 From January 1, 4/ Infomation obtained from exhibit 3E-2 "A Line Maintenance and as part of the record "In the matter of the investigation of Leak Reports Linalog" prepared by Phillips Pipe Line Company a Products December 9; 1970." Pipeline Accident in Franklin County, Missouri, on 72027#