In a follow-up to orders shutting down the pipeline responsible for the Refugio Oil Spill in southern Santa Barbara County, federal regulators have ordered Plains All American Pipeline to clean out 114.6 miles of its connecting pipeline between the Gaviota Coast and Kern County.
Both of the Plains pipelines in Santa Barbara County were shut down following the May 19 spill after extensive corrosion was found in the ruptured pipe.
Investigation into the crude oil spill is ongoing, but up to 142,800 gallons flowed onto the coastline and into the ocean near Refugio State Beach.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued another corrective order amendment last week telling Plains to clear out the unprocessed crude oil that is sitting in its Line 903, which has been out of service on PHMSA orders since May.
The crude oil from the Freeport-McMoRan offshore oil platforms could contribute to internal corrosion, so PHMSA is ordering Plains to purge the 30-inch pipeline and fill it with inert gas.
Plains can’t operate this section of pipeline even after the purge, but it’s still running the 15-mile Pentland-to-Emidio section of Line 903 in Kern County with a required restriction of 80-percent pressure.
The ruptured pipe, Line 901, which runs between Goleta and the Gaviota Pump Station, has already been purged.
PHMSA has reviewed in-line inspection data from Plains pipes and found that corrosion “anomalies” are usually larger than the surveys indicate – which was also the case at the ruptured pipe site.
The most recent survey indicated the pipe wall had a 45-percent loss, but the pipe was found to be 1/16-inch thick once it was dug up for the Refugio Oil Spill investigation.
“On Nov. 13, Plains received an amended Corrective Action Order (CAO) from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) calling for the purge and shutdown of Plains’ Line 903 between Gaviota and Pentland through Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Kern Counties in California, which has been inactive since earlier this year,” Plains communications manager Meredith Matthews said.
“ While we do not agree with several of PHMSA’s additional findings, Plains personnel have already engaged with PHMSA in planning the purge of Line 903 between Gaviota and Pentland. As called for in the CAO, Plains will complete the activities in coordination with and under oversight from PHMSA as quickly and safely as possible.”
Plains will be required to submit a detailed plan for the purge and submit more in-line inspection data to PHMSA, according to the order signed by Jeffrey Wiese, associate administrator for pipeline safety.
Offshore oil platforms run by ExxonMobil, Freeport-McMoRan and Venoco stopped operating shortly after the Refugio Oil Spill because PHMSA shut down the pipelines that transport crude oil to refineries.
Recently, ExxonMobil decided it would relocate about 200 employees from its Santa Ynez Unit operations due to the shutdown.
There is no estimated timeline for restarting Line 901 or the closed portion of Line 903, Matthews said.
Plains is responsible for oil spill clean-up costs and as of Sept. 30, the company spent approximately $126 million related to the spill, she said.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
