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Over Pressure Causes Production Tank Damage


A crew was hydrotesting a newly constructed pipeline when an incident occurred. During pigging operations, hydrotest fluid and the pig became lodged. While the crew dewatered and depressured the equipment, a large volume of air inadvertently escaped into the adjacent 400-barrel production tank. High pressure in the tank blew off the tank lid and vent lines. No one was injured in the incident, but it could have resulted in severe or fatal injuries to workers in the surrounding area.