WorldWide Drilling Resource

Emergency Preparedness a Must for the Pipeline Industry Compiled by the Editorial Staff of WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Petroleum for the Southeastern United States is supplied primarily by refineries and a pipeline which flows along the U.S Gulf Coast. When a problem occurs with a pipeline, there must be a quick response or there could be grave environmental consequences. The Colonial Pipeline has had two such devastating missteps recently with a major line responsible for the transportation of 1.4 million barrels of gasoline per day throughout the Southeast. The first incident occurred on September 9, 2016, when Colonial Pipel ine had to shut down Line 1 because of a leak in the state of Alabama. The leak released an estimated 7370 barrels of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other refined products. The released product was contained in a man-made mine water retention pond adjacent to the site of the leak. Environmental controls were immediately deployed with caution to help prevent any contamination. A water quality sampling commenced next, and an air monitoring plan was initiated to maintain safe working conditions. Operations for the line were down until September 21, when workers completed the construction of a 500-foot, aboveground bypass, which would serve as a temporary solution until the installation of new pipe could be made. The second issue arose on October 31, 2016, when fire exploded from the Line 1 pipe a few miles from the September leak site. Flames shot hundreds of feet into the air around a crew working to drain sections of the pipe, so a more permanent tube could be placed at the site of the leak. For such an explosion to take place, three factors must be present. There must be the right mix of fuel and oxygen levels and an ignition source. In this case, those factors led to the pipeline’s shutdown for the second time as an investigation and emergency protocols were quickly started. The fire was permitted to burn to prevent the release of gasoline vapors and product into the environment. A ditch and earth wall were constructed to contain any potential release, and containment booms were deployed at three locations on the nearby river as an additional precautionary measure. The surface water and sediment of the river were sampled, and no observable impacts were noted in the initial or subsequent testing. After the fire burned itself out, all remaining product from the pipeline was safely removed, and the excavation and re- moval of the impacted segment of the pipe was completed. Within a week of the in- cident, a new pipe was installed, allowing for the restart of Line 1. The investigation into the ignition source revealed the explosion was the result of a worker who acci- dentally hit the line while doing excavation work. It’s easy to see how quickly environmental measures need to be put in place when a problem occurs with a pipeline. The environment could become contami- nated or working conditions could become unsafe if procedures are not initiated quickly. With the right actions by those involved, the environment can be maintained effectively and efficiently even amidst chaos. The system map of the Colonial Pipeline, courtesy of Colonial Pipeline. Alaska Miners Association Phone: 907-563-9229 Fax: 907-563-9225 ama@alaskaminers.org www.alaskaminers.org Alberta Water Well Drilling Association Tel: 780-386-2335 awwda@xplornet.com American Exploration and Mining Assn. Phone: 509-624-1158 Fax: 509-623-1241 info@miningamerica.org www.miningamerica.org Atlantic Water Well Association Tel: 888-242-4440 Fax: 902-435-0089 nsgwa@ns.aliantzinc.ca • www.nsgwa.ca Australian Drilling Industry Association adia@adia.com.au Black Hills Chapter of the ISEE President: Doug Hoy www.bitwconference.org British Columbia Ground Water Assn. Tel: 604-530-8934 Fax: 604-530-8934 secretary@bcgwa.org • www.bcgwa.org WorldWide Drilling Resource ® is a proud member of these associations. National Drilling Association Tel: 877-632-4748 Fax: 216-803-9900 www.nda4u.com New Zealand Drillers Federation, Inc. www.nzdrillersfederation.co.nz Northern Plains Chapter of the ISEE President: Billy Obermire Tel: 307-689-0050 www.bitwconference.org Nova Scotia Ground Water Association Tel: 888-242-4440 Fax: 902-435-0089 nsgwa@ns.aliantzinc.ca • www.nsgwa.ca Ontario Groundwater Association Tel: 519-245-7194 Fax: 519-245-7196 ogwa@ogwa.ca • www.ogwa.ca Women In Mining 866-537-9694 wim@womeninmining.org www.womeninmining.org 43 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® MARCH 2017