PEOPLES GAS SYSTEM INC

Incident Narrative

ON JUNE 7, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 02:00 HOURS, PGS WAS NOTIFIED THAT A THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR HAD STRUCK A GAS PIPELINE AT STATE ROAD 31 & STATE ROAD 80 IN FT MYERS, FLORIDA. RESPONDING CREWS WERE DISPATCHED AND ARRIVED TO FIND A SOIL SAMPLING RIG WAS THE CAUSE OF THE DAMAGED PIPELINE AND ESCAPING GAS. AN ASSESSMENT WAS MADE OF THE SCENE, INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO SAFELY MANAGE THE SITE. AN EVALUATION OF OPTIONS FOR THE ONE-WAY-FED 8"" STEEL PIPELINE, CONCLUDED THAT THE PIPELINE WOULD REMAIN IN SERVICE TO CONTINUALLY SUPPLY APPROXIMATELY 25,300 CUSTOMERS DOWNSTREAM, UNTIL A BYPASS COULD BE INSTALLED TO ISOLATE THE DAMAGED SECTION OF PIPELINE. OVER THE FOLLOWING DAYS, CREWS WORKED TO INSTALL 750' OF 8"" STEEL BYPASS AROUND THE DAMAGED SECTION OF PIPELINE. THE BYPASS WAS ABLE TO ISOLATE THE DAMAGED SECTION OF PIPELINE ON JUNE 10, 2023, AT 13:25, AND COMPLETE STOPPAGE OF THE ESCAPING GAS. A ROOT CAUSE INVESTIGATION WAS CONCLUDED AND FOUND TWO PRIMARY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1. THE GAS PIPELINE IN THE LOCATION OF THIS INCIDENT WAS/IS CLASSIFIED AS A ""HIGH PRIORITY SUBSURFACE INSTALLATION (HPSI)"" BY PGS THROUGH THE POSITIVE RESPONSE CODE OF ""2C"". PER FLORIDA STATUE CHAPTER 556 HPSI REQUIRES SPECIAL PROCEDURES WHEN DIGGING NEAR AN HPSI. WITH THIS CLASSIFICATION, BEFORE ANY DIGGING OR DEMOLITION, THE EXCAVATOR MUST NOTIFY THE MEMBER OPERATOR OF THE START DATE AND TIME OF THE EXCAVATION. IN ACCORDANCE WITH F.S. 556, THIS HPSI WAS MARKED BY PGS, AND A RESPONSE COMMUNICATED BACK TO THE REQUESTING EXCAVATOR USING A 2C (MARKED WITH EXCEPTIONS: HIGH PROFILE SUBSURFACE INSTALLATION IN CONFLICT). THE INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED AND COMMUNICATED TO THE EXCAVATOR INDICATED, ""EXCAVATOR MUST NOTIFY THE MEMBER OPERATOR OF THE EXCAVATION OR DEMOLITION START DATE AND TIME"" WHICH THE EXCAVATOR FAILED TO DO. IN ADDITION, PEOPLES GAS ALSO SENT AN E-MAIL TO THE EXCAVATOR NOTIFYING THE EXCAVATOR ABOUT THE HPSI AND REQUESTING THE START DATE AND TIME. THE FAILURE BY THE EXCAVATOR TO NOTIFY PGS OF THE TIMING OF THEIR EXCAVATION AND THE SPECIFIC LOCATION DID NOT ALLOW PGS TO GIVE ADDITIONAL LOCATION INFORMATION AND SPECIFICATIONS RELATED TO THE PIPELINE IDENTIFIED AS ""IN CONFLICT"". THE FAILURE ALSO PREVENTED THE POSSIBILITY OF A PEOPLES GAS LOCATOR BEING ON-SITE DURING THE EXCAVATION. 2. THE DEPTH OF THE PIPELINE AT THE DAMAGED LOCATION WAS OVER THIRTEEN FEET DEEP. WHEN PGS' LOCATOR PERFORMED THE INITIAL LOCATE MARKING, THE LOCATE SIGNAL UNKNOWINGLY JUMPED OFF THE GAS PIPELINE ONTO AN ADJACENT TELECOMMUNICATION FACILITY. THIS CAUSED THE LOCATE MARKINGS TO VEER OFF THE GAS PIPELINE BY APPROXIMATELY 36"" TO 48"" AT THE DAMAGED LOCATION.