{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 520097001","title":"FREEPORT-MCMORAN OIL & GAS — Notice of Probable Violation","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2009-01-08","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of probable violation citing 195.426.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520097001.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520097001.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520097001","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/520097001","body":"Notice of Probable Violation involving FREEPORT-MCMORAN OIL & GAS. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 195.426. The case was opened on 2009-01-08 and is reported as closed as of 2011-01-14. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n520097001_FinalOrder_01142011.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520097001/520097001_FinalOrder_01142011.pdf\n\n520097001_FinalOrder_01142011_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520097001/520097001_FinalOrder_01142011_text.pdf\n\n520097001_NOPV PCO_01082009.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520097001/520097001_NOPV%20PCO_01082009.pdf\n\n520097001_NOPV PCO_01082009_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520097001/520097001_NOPV%20PCO_01082009_text.pdf\n\n520097001_operator_response_02112009.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520097001/520097001_operator_response_02112009.pdf\n\n520097001_FinalOrder_01142011_text.pdf\n\nJAN 14 2011\nMr. James C. Flores\nPresident and Chief Executive Officer\nPlains Exploration & Production Company\n700 Milam, Suite 3100\nHouston, TX 77002\nRe: CPF No. 5-2009-7001\nDear Mr. Flores:\nEnclosed please find the Final Order issued in the above-referenced case. It withdraws the\nNotice of Probable Violation. Therefore, this case is now closed. Service of the Final Order by\ncertified mail is deemed effective upon the date of mailing, or as otherwise provided under 49\nC.F.R. § 190.5.\nThank you for your cooperation in this matter.\nSincerely,\nJeffrey D. Wiese\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety\nEnclosure\ncc: Mr. Chris Hoidal, Director, Western Region, PHMSA\nMr. Thomas B. Goeres\nOperations Manager\nPlains Exploration & Production Company\n201 S. Broadway\nOrcutt, CA 93455-4606\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED [7005 1160 0001 0040 0023]\n\n\n\nU.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION\nPIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION\nOFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY\nWASHINGTON, D.C. 20590\n____________________________________\nIn the Matter of )\nPlains Exploration & Production ) CPF No. 5-2009-7001\nCompany, )\n)\n)\n)\nRespondent. )\n____________________________________)\nFINAL ORDER\nOn April 21-25 and May 5-9, 2008, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60117, a representative of the\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety\n(OPS), conducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of the facilities and records of Plains\nExploration & Production Company (PXP or Respondent) in Orcutt, California.\nAs a result of the inspection, the Director, Western Region, OPS (Director), issued to\nRespondent, by letter dated January 8, 2009, a Notice of Probable Violation and Proposed\nCompliance Order (Notice). In accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 190.207, the Notice proposed\nfinding that PXP had violated 49 C.F.R. § 195.426 and proposed ordering Respondent to take\ncertain measures to correct the alleged violation.\nPXP responded to the Notice by letter dated February 11, 2009 (Response). The company\ncontested the allegation and offered additional information in response to the Notice.\nRespondent did not request a hearing and therefore has waived its right to one.\nFINDING OF VIOLATION\nItem 1: The Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 195.426, which states:\n§ 195.426 – Scraper and sphere facilities\nNo operator may use a launcher or receiver that is not equipped with a\nrelief device capable of safely relieving pressure in the barrel before\ninsertion or removal of scrapers or spheres. The operator must use a\nsuitable device to indicate that pressure has been relieved in the barrel or\nmust provide a means to prevent insertion or removal of scrapers or\nspheres if pressure has not been relieved in the barrel.\n\n\n\n2\nThe Notice alleged that Respondent violated § 195.426 by using a receiver that was not equipped\nwith a relief device capable of safely relieving pressure in the barrel before insertion or removal\nof scrapers or spheres. Specifically, the Notice alleged that the barrel of the receiver at PXP’s\nLompoc processing facility lacked a vent valve to the atmosphere, and that this could allow the\nreceiver to open under pressure.\nIn its Response, PXP objected to the allegation of violation. The company stated that the barrel\nof its receiver was equipped with three relief valves that opened to the atmosphere, and that they\nwere capable of safely relieving pressure in the barrel before insertion or removal of scrapers or\nspheres. PXP included with its Response a diagram of its receiver system showing the three\nvalves.\nBased upon the information provided in PXP’s Response, I hereby order that the Notice be\nwithdrawn.\nThe Notice proposed a compliance order with respect to Item1. Because I have ordered that the\nNotice be withdrawn, the proposed compliance terms are not included in this Order. However, I\nwould like to commend PXP for acting on OPS’s recommendation to install a valve immediately\ndownstream of the mainline trap valve to depressure upstream of the barrel in the event a pig\nwere to become stuck in the neck pipe.\nThe terms and conditions of this Final Order are effective upon service in accordance with 49\nC.F.R. § 190.5.\n___________________________________ __________________________\nJeffrey D. Wiese Date Issued\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety","truncated":false,"body_characters":5394}