NORTHWEST PIPELINE LLC
gas_transmission Incident —
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | NORTHWEST PIPELINE LLC |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 42.72431, -112.89058 |
Cause
| Cause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON OCTOBER 31, 2022 WILLIAMS SECURITY OPERATION CENTER WAS NOTIFIED BY NEARBY AUTHORITIES THAT A FARMER HAD STRUCK OUT 22"" MAINLINE WITH FARMING EQUIPMENT WHILE HE WAS DEEP PLOWING HIS FIELD FOR THE WINTER. IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING NOTIFICATION OF THE INCIDENT, PIPELINE OPERATIONS RESPONDED AND WENT TO THE SITE OF THE INCIDENT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. ONCE ON SITE, OPERATIONS NOTICED THAT THE LINE HAD BEEN STRUCK HARD ENOUGH TO CREATE A SMALL PUNCTURE IN THE LINE, VENTING HIGHLY PRESSURIZED GAS TO THE ATMOSPHERE. OPERATIONS QUICKLY MOVED TO MANUALLY CLOSE THE UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM MAINLINE VALVES TO ISOLATE THIS SECTION OF MAINLINE FROM PRESSURIZED GAS. ONCE THIS SECTION OF MAINLINE WAS ISOLATED, CONSTRUCTION CREWS AND OPERATIONS WORKED TOGETHER TO CUT OUT THE PIECE OF DAMAGED PIPE AND INSTALL A NEW SPOOL OF PRE-TESTED PIPE. OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FOUR DAYS THIS EFFORT WAS COMPLETED AND WILLIAMS WAS ABLE TO RESTORE THIS SECTION OF THE MAINLINE BACK TO SERVICE. DURING THE OUTAGE, THE 1401 LINE, WHICH RUNS PARALLEL TO THE DAMAGED 1400 LINE, WAS ABLE TO OPERATE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS TO AVOID ANY SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTIONS TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
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.