ZIA NATURAL GAS CO
gas_distribution Incident — LAS CRUCES, NM — December 26, 2012
Incident Information
| Incident Date | December 26, 2012 |
| Operator | ZIA NATURAL GAS CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | LAS CRUCES |
| State | NM |
| County | DONA ANA |
| Coordinates | 32.34882, -106.83120 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | OTHER INCORRECT OPERATION |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $2,000 |
| Emergency Response | $500 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"THERE WAS AN INTENTIONAL RELEASE OF GAS WHILE THE SERVICE LINE VALVE WAS BEING CHANGED LIVE. THE OPERATION TECHNICIAN CHECKED AND DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY POTENTIAL IGNITION SOURCES, BUT THE GAS IGNITED AND CAUSED THE INCIDENT. ZIA NATURAL GAS COMPANY HAS IMPLEMENTED A SPECIFIC WRITTEN PROCEDURE FOR CHANGING SERVICE LINE VALVES AND HAS RETRAINED EMPLOYEES ON PROPERLY IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL SOURCES OF IGNITION. INCIDENT HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED BY THE NEW MEXICO PUBLIC REGULATION COMMISSION, PIPELINE SAFETY BUREAU. THE FINDINGS AND COMPLIANCE ACTIONS HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED IN NOTICE OF PROBABLE VIOLATION CASE #12-122612-11-PD."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.