Operator errors caused 402,486 gallons of crude oil to gush out of an EnLink Midstream pipeline south of Midland, Texas on the night of March 29.
The EnLink incident is one of over 100 crude oil spills in Texas reported to federal regulators since Jan. 1, 2022. But the size of the EnLink spill—which would have been enough to fill 50 oil tanker trucks—sets it apart. It was the largest crude oil spill in the Permian Basin, and the fourth largest spill on land in Texas, since 2010.
According to an incident report submitted to federal regulators, operators overpressurized the pipeline, causing it to rupture. Operators did not shut down the flow for nearly three hours after the pipeline’s leak detection alarm went off. PHMSA’s investigation into the spill is ongoing and the company could face civil penalties or other enforcement actions if violations of pipeline safety regulations are identified, an agency spokesperson said.
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