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Louisiana Refinery Accident Database

Phillips 66 (2418), Belle Chasse

LDEQ Accident Report

Accident #	No LDEQ Number Available
PDF Available	PDF
State Police #	13-01307
Accident Date	2013-03-25
Report Date	2013-04-01
Follow-up Date	0000-00-00
Follow-up:	No

Pollutants Released

Accident Classified As: No Information Given

Cause of Problem: Seal or Gasket

On Tuesday, March 26, 2013, the operator on Dock 1 observed a sheen and the investigation of the sheen led to the discovery of a very small dripping leak on the gasoline loading line for Dock 1. The leak was off an engineered clamp on the gasoline loading line that had been installed following a previous leak on November 17, 2012. The line that leaked was not in use for any vessel loading, but it was pressured up as gasoline was being loaded onto a vessel at Dock 2. The leak rate observed was 4 drops per minute. The Dock 2 loading commenced at 11:15PM on March 25, so the worse case duration would be 580 minutes (9 hours, 40 minutes). Assuming an average drop volume of 0.05ml, the estimated volume is 0.03 gallons.

Discharge Preventable - No

The leak was the result of an unexpected leak of the previously installed engineered clamp.

Notes/Remedial Actions

Upon discovery of the leak, the gasoline loading at Dock 2 was stopped, and the visual leaking ceased. The Dock 1 line was then isolated from the refinery system supplying the Dock 2 loading; as an additional precaution, a temporary containment was placed under leak area. Once the Dock 1 isolation was confirmed and the clamp was verified as no longer leaking, loading operations resumed on Dock 2. The clamp was re-pumped with sealant, and the line remains isolated pending further investigation.