Chevron El Segundo Mooring; El Segundo, California

El Segundo, California | 1991-Mar-17

Initial Notification: On March 16, 1991, the tanker OMI DYNACHEM severed a 26-inch pipeline at mooring #3 of Chevron's El Segundo, California offshore marine terminal in Santa Monica Bay. When the DYNACHEM attempted to anchor and hook up to the #2 mooring, a hydraulic winch failed and caused the ship to abort the attempt and weigh anchor. The #3 mooring pipeline was severed when it was snagged by the starboard anchor. The ship was not damaged nor at risk and moved off and anchored at a safe distance. At the time of the accident there was a maximum potential of 7,320 barrels of gas-oil in the pipeline (a combination of the 26-inch cargo transfer line and a 12-inch line in a looped configuration). The gas-oil, a non-marketable diesel-like product, is used to push remaining product out of the 26-inch line after tankers have finished transferring their cargo. It is left unpressurized in the looped lines after transfer operations are completed. Terminal personnel were notified about 10 minutes after the mishap and immediately began pumping the gas-oil out of the severed line. Chevron hired Clean Coastal Waters as their primary response contractor and the U.S. Coast Guard requested four skimmers from the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team personnel with an offshore skimming barrier. The Clean Seas Cooperative was requested to standby to provide any additional assistance necessary. 33-54.3 N and 118-26.8 W USCG district 11.