KINDER MORGAN TEJAS PIPELINE

Incident Narrative

DURING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM EVENT, AT 01:55-HOURS LOCAL TIME, A NEARBY LANDOWNER CONTACTED KINDER MORGAN TEJAS (TEJAS) GAS CONTROL AND REPORTED HEARING THE NOISE OF A NATURAL GAS RELEASE. AT 02:00-HOURS, TEJAS OPERATIONS DISPATCHED TEJAS EMPLOYEES (THE EMPLOYEES) TO INVESTIGATE THE LANDOWNER'S REPORT. THE EMPLOYEES COMMUTE TO THE SITE, KNOWN AS DIANA JUNCTION, WAS DELAYED BY THE INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FALLEN TREES BLOCKING THE ROADS. LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AND CITIZENS WERE CLEARING TREES FROM THE ROADS AS POSSIBLE. THE EMPLOYEES REACHED THE SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 05:20-HOURS AND SAFELY ENTERED THE SITE USING TEJAS SAFE APPROACH PROTOCOL. THE EMPLOYEES DISCOVERED STRAIGHT LINE WINDS HAD CAUSED A TREE, LOCATED OUTSIDE THE SITE, TO FALL ACROSS THE SITE FENCE. A BRANCH OF THE FALLEN TREE STRUCK THE 1.5-INCH VALVE AND PIPE NIPPLE LOCATED ON THE SIDE OF THE SEPARATOR SHEERING THE NIPPLE IN THE THREADS ALLOWING GAS TO UNINTENTIONALLY VENT TO ATMOSPHERE. THE SEPARATOR SERVES THE TEJAS HAWKINS LATERAL LINE, INDEX 520-115P. BY APPROXIMATELY 05:22-HOURS, THE VALVES ISOLATING THE SEPARATOR WERE CLOSED. REPAIRS OF THE DAMAGED VALVE AND PIPE NIPPLE WERE COMPLETED ON 06/16/2023 AND THE SEPARATOR WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE AT 09:30-HOURS ON THE SAME DAY. IN ADDITION, THE DAMAGED FENCE AND NON-GAS STRUCTURES WERE REPAIRED OR CLEARED AWAY AS APPROPRIATE.