# PHILLIPS 66 PIPELINE LLC — Warning Letter

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** CPF 520125010W
- **title:** PHILLIPS 66 PIPELINE LLC — Warning Letter
- **source type:** enforcement
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** historical
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2012-04-24
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** CLOSED warning letter citing 195.202, 195.204, 195.589.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520125010w.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520125010w.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520125010w
- **source url:** https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/520125010W
**body:**

Warning Letter involving PHILLIPS 66 PIPELINE LLC. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulations as 195.202,  195.204,  195.589. The case was opened on 2012-04-24 and is reported as closed as of 2012-04-24. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.

Official case documents:

520125010W_Operator Response _05142012.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520125010W/520125010W_Operator%20Response%20_05142012.pdf

520125010W_warning letter_04242012.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520125010W/520125010W_warning%20letter_04242012.pdf

520125010W_warning letter_04242012_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520125010W/520125010W_warning%20letter_04242012_text.pdf

520125010W_warning letter_04242012_text.pdf

WARNING LETTER
CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
April 24, 2012
Ms. Deborah Adams
President
ConocoPhillips Pipeline Company
600 N. Dairy Ashford
Houston, TX 77079
CPF 5-2012-5010W
Dear Ms. Adams:
On March 7 through April 3, 2012, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code,
completed multiple field inspections on your Yellowstone pipeline horizontal directional drill
project under the Clark Fork River at MP 319.1, near the community of Turah, 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:
1. §195.202 Compliance with specifications or standards.
Each pipeline system must be constructed in accordance with comprehensive
written specifications or standards that are consistent with the requirements of
this part.



ConocoPhillips Pipeline Company (CPPL) failed to have comprehensive written
specifications or standards for all aspects of the Yellowstone pipeline horizontal directional
drill (HDD) at MP 319.1. Though CPPL had procedures for welding and non-destructive
testing (NDT) and manufacturer’s recommended application practices for coating, other key
construction specifications were not available to our inspector. After numerous requests,
ConocoPhillips could not provide specifications or standards for all aspects of construction
inspection including coating, specifications for field bending of pipe, and documentation
requirements for coating application inspection.
2. §195.204 Inspection - General.
Inspection must be provided to ensure the installation of pipe or pipeline systems
in accordance with the requirements of this subpart. No person may be used to
perform inspections unless that person has been trained and is qualified in the
phase of construction to be inspected.
CPPL failed to use a trained inspector to inspect the pipe welding process during their
Yellowstone pipeline HDD at MP 319.1. The CPPL inspector who was responsible for the
inspection of the welding process had not been trained in the inspection of welding
processes. Though this individual was a qualified non-destructive tester and was
experienced in welding, he did not have records showing that he had been trained in the
inspection of the welding process. Furthermore, this inspector had no tools for checking the
welding parameters of volts, amps and travel speed during welding. He only checked for
preheat requirements.
Though all welds passed NDT requirements, one cannot be assured that the welding
procedure was followed because welding the parameters of volts, amps, and travel speed
were not periodically checked. Because a weld passes NDT does not mean that a procedure
was followed. If the procedure is not followed it is possible for the welder to affect the
metallurgical properties of the pipe and the weld in ways that may jeopardize the integrity of
the pipeline.
3. §195.589 What corrosion control information do I have to maintain?
(c) You must maintain a record of each analysis, check, demonstration,
examination, inspection, investigation, review, survey, and test required by this
subpart in sufficient detail to demonstrate the adequacy of corrosion control
measures or that corrosion requiring control measures does not exist. You must
retain these records for at least 5 years, except that records related to Secs.
195.569, 195.573(a) and (b), and 195.579(b)(3) and (c) must be retained for as
long as the pipeline remains in service.
CPPL did not maintain a record of coating prep, application, and pre-installation inspections
of their Yellowstone pipeline HDD at MP 319.1. Coating preparation and coating
application inspections are required to insure the coating meets the requirements of §
195.559. An operator must inspect their pipe’s coating just prior to its installing it and they
must repair all defects that are found in accordance with 195.561. Inspections that occurred



but were not documented included, surface prep profile checks, pipe temperature checks, wet
surface film thickness, dry film thickness, “Jeeping including voltage used and repairs made
to coating. An operator is required to maintain records of this nature for at least 5 years to
demonstrate the adequacy of corrosion control measures in accordance with Subpart H.
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 violation 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 items identified in this letter. Failure to do so will result in ConocoPhillips 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 5-2012-5010W. Be advised that all material you submit in response to this
enforcement action is subject to being made publicly available. If you believe that any
portion of your responsive material qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C.
552(b), along with the complete original document you must provide a second copy of the
document with the portions you believe qualify for confidential treatment redacted and an
explanation of why you believe the redacted information qualifies for confidential treatment
under 5 U.S.C. 552(b).
Sincerely,
Chris Hoidal
Director, Western Region
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
cc: PHP-60 Compliance Registry
PHP-500 G. Davis (#138648)
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