ATMOS PIPELINE - TEXAS

Incident Narrative

ON APRIL 26, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 05:20 AM, A RUPTURE OCCURRED INVOLVING A THIRD-PARTY GAS PIPELINE FACILITY. THIS EVENT OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 270 FEET FROM ATMOS ENERGYS ABOVE GROUND STATION AT THE TERMINUS OF ITS TRANSMISSION LINE, LINE X2-7, WHICH WAS NOT CONNECTED TO THE SUBJECT RUPTURED FACILITIES. THE RUPTURE DAMAGED A PIPE SUPPORT AT ATMOS ENERGYS ABOVE GROUND STATION AND CAUSED IT TO SINK INTO THE SOIL, WHICH THEN CAUSED A 12-INCH VALVE FLANGE TO MISALIGN RESULTING IN A RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. AT 07:15 AM, ATMOS ENERGY WAS NOTIFIED OF THE EVENT BY ANOTHER INVOLVED THIRD-PARTY OPERATOR. THE FIRST ATMOS ENERGY TECHNICIAN ARRIVED ON SITE AND DETERMINED THE CONDITION TO EXIST AT APPROXIMATELY 07:49 AM. ALTHOUGH ATMOS ENERGY WAS UNABLE TO APPROACH THE STATION YARD AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF THE ONGOING EVENT, CONFIRMED DISCOVERY WAS DETERMINED AT 09:17 AM BASED UPON THE ANTICIPATED STATION DAMAGE COST. ATMOS ENERGYS GAS CONTROLLERS, IN COORDINATION WITH ATMOS ENERGYS ONSITE EMPLOYEES, CLOSED VALVES TO ISOLATE LINE X2-7 AND THE UPSTREAM LATERAL LINE X2 FROM THE ATMOS ENERGY TRUNKLINE AT 8:10 AM. BOTH CONNECTED LINES WERE ALLOWED TO BLOW DOWN AT A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE DAMAGED FACILITY. THE FIRE AT THE STATION WAS ALLOWED TO BURN OUT, WHICH OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 12:45 PM. ON MAY 3, 2024, THE X2 VALVE AT LINE X2-7 WAS CLOSED SEPARATING THESE TWO LINES. ON MAY 22, 2024, THE UPSTREAM LATERAL LINE X2 WAS PLACED BACK IN SERVICE. THE DAMAGED STATION AND THE ENTIRE 263 FEET OF LINE X2-7 WILL NOT BE REPLACED OR PLACED BACK INTO SERVICE.