# EXXONMOBIL PIPELINE CO — Warning Letter

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** CPF 520075001W
- **title:** EXXONMOBIL PIPELINE CO — Warning Letter
- **source type:** enforcement
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** historical
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2007-01-09
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** CLOSED warning letter citing 195.402(a), 195.410(a)(1), 195.422(a).
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520075001w.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520075001w.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520075001w
- **source url:** https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/520075001W
**body:**

Warning Letter involving EXXONMOBIL PIPELINE CO. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulations as 195.402(a),  195.410(a)(1),  195.422(a). The case was opened on 2007-01-09 and is reported as closed as of 2007-01-09. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.

Official case documents:

520075001W_Warning Letter_01092007.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520075001W/520075001W_Warning%20Letter_01092007.pdf

520075001w_warning letter_01092007_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520075001W/520075001w_warning%20letter_01092007_text.pdf

520075001w_warning letter_01092007_text.pdf

U. S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration
12300 W Dakota Ave, Suite ii0
Lakewood, CO 80228
WARNING LETTER
CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT RE UESTED
January 9, 2007
Mr. John DuPre
Vice President — Operations, Northern
ExxonMobil Pipeline Company
3225 Gallows Road
Fairfax, VA 22037
SENT TO COMPLIANCE REGISTRY
Hardcopy Electronically ~
¹ of Copies~/ Date I///L'7
CPF 5-2007-5001W
Dear Mr, DuPre;
On June 20 to June 22, 2006, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code, inspected your Silvertip
Pipeline in south central Montana.
As a result of the inspection, it appears that you have committed probable violations of the Pipeline
Safety Regulations, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. The items inspected and the probable
violations are:
$195. 402 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies.
(a) General. Each operator shall prepare and follow for each pipeline system a manual
of written procedures for conducting normal operations and maintenance activities and
handling abnormal operations and emergencies. This manual shall be reviewed at
intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least once each calendar year, and appropriate
changes made as necessary to insure that the manual is effective. This manual shall be
prepared before initial operations of a pipeline commence, and appropriate parts shall be
kept at locations where operations and maintenance activities are conducted.
ExxonMobil Pipeline Company's (EMPCo's) cathodic protection monitoring procedures state
"The annual pipe-to-soils shall be plotted and compared to the last three years. When a
significant drop in potential is noted, further investigation should be scheduled to identify the
cause. " Review of EMPCo's pipe-to-soil records for the Silvertip Pipeline in 2005 show that
several locations along this pipeline had pipe-to-soil readings significantly below the previous



three years' readings. In fact several locations show a trend toward lower levels of cathodic
protection. There had been no further investigation to determine the cause.
2. $195. 410 Line markers.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each operator shall place and
maintain line markers over each buried pipeline in accordance with the following:
(1) Markers must be located at each public road crossing, at each railroad crossing, and
in sufficient number along the remainder of each buried line so that its location is
accurately known.
At the time of this inspection there were no pipeline markers at the Peterson road crossing at
MP 54. 8.
3. $195. 422 Pipeline Repairs.
(a) Each operator shall, in repairing its pipeline systems, insure that the repairs are
made in a safe manner and are made so as to prevent damage to persons or property.
EMPCo's in-service fillet and groove weld procedures, qualified in 1974, do not have the
number and/or type of qualification destructive tests that are required under the accepted
industry practice for qualifying in-service welds (API 1104 Appendix B).
Under 49 United States Code, $ 60122, you are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $100, 000 for
each violation for each day the violations persists up to a maximum of $1, 000, 000 for any related
series of violations. We have reviewed the circumstances and supporting documents involved in this
case, and have decided not to conduct additional enforcement action or penalty assessment
proceedings at this time. We advise you to correct the item(s) identified in this letter. Be advised that
failure to do so will result in ExxonMobil Pipeline Company being subject to additional enforcement
action.
No reply to this letter is required. If you choose to reply, in your correspondence please refer to CPF
5-2007-5001 W.
Sincerely,
'
C
Hoida
Director, Western Region
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
cc: PHP-60 Compliance Registry
PHP-500 (G. Davis ¹ 116697)
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