Incidenthistorical
PHMSA Report 20220043
IRONWOOD MIDSTREAM ENERGY PARTNERS, LLC — Hazardous liquid gravity and reporting-regulated-only — incident on 2022-05-21
Current as of 2022-05-21 Government source
RegulusPipeline researchRegulusPipeline researchPHMSA Report 20220043
Hazardous liquid gravity and reporting-regulated-only incident in KARNES, KARNES County, TX. Reported cause: EQUIPMENT FAILURE. Reported consequences: 0 fatalities, 0 injuries, 0.61 CRUDE OIL released, $1,500 reported property damage. Operator-reported incident data submitted to PHMSA, generally within 30 days. Records may be supplemented or corrected and do not represent final agency causal findings.
Report number: 20220043.
Operator ID: 39649.
Reported incident date: 5/21/2022 12:01.
Cause detail: NON-THREADED CONNECTION FAILURE
Cause detail: AT APPROXIMATELY 8 AM ON 5/21/22 THE DEFTONES WEST FACILITY BOOSTER PUMP DISCHARGE CHECK VALVE FAILED TO CHECK AT A PRESSURE OF APPROXIMATELY 600 PSI ON A 1440 PSI RATED PIPELINE. WHEN THE CHECK VALVE FAILED TO CHECK, REVERSE FLOW THROUGH THE PUMP CAUSED A PRESSURE INCREASE ON THE SUCTION OF THE PUMP ABOVE THE NORMAL OPERATING PRESSURE. THE GASKET ON STRAINER BASKET ON THE SUCTION OF THE PUMP FAILED TO SEAL CAUSING A RELEASE OF OIL FROM THE STRAINER. THE BASKET STRAINER IS MAINTAINED, WITH THE MOST RECENT DOCUMENTED MAINTENANCE ON 3/28/22. THE PUMP WAS IMMEDIATELY ESD'D AND SUCTION AND DISCHARGE VALVES CLOSED. REMEDIATION OF THE SOIL IN THE SURROUNDING AREA WAS STARTED WITHIN A FEW HOURS. DUE TO THE CHECK VALVE FAILING TO STOP REVERSE FLOW TWO ACTIONS WERE TAKEN. THE CHECK VALVE WAS REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND CHECK VALVE WITH BETTER ABILITY FOR MAINTENANCE AND THE DISCHARGE PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE ON THE PUMP WAS PROGRAMMED TO GO TO THE CLOSED POSITION WHENEVER THE PUMP IS NOT RUNNING IN ORDER TO ALSO HELP PREVENT REVERSE FLOW.
This material provides agency context. It does not replace binding regulatory text, and its legal effect depends on the underlying authority and facts.