PANHANDLE EASTERN PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON 10/03/22 AT 00:18, THE 24-INCH ST PETER DRIP LINE IN THE WAVERLY STORAGE FIELD FAILED RESULTING IN A FIRE. THE PIPE APPEARS TO HAVE FAILED AT THE 6 O'CLOCK POSITION ON THE SOUTH END OF THE PIPE. APPROXIMATELY 7.1 MMCF OF NATURAL GAS WAS RELEASED. THE PIPELINE WAS ISOLATED AND BLOWDOWN BY AREA OPERATIONS RESULTING IN THE FIRE BEING EXTINGUISHED. LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CLOSED ROADS AND EVACUATED TWO RESIDENTS NEAR THE FAILURE SITE TO PREVENT TRAFFIC FROM ENTERING THE AREA. THE FAILED SECTION OF PIPE WAS REMOVED AND THE LINE WAS RESTARTED ON 10/06/22 AT 11:00. THE FAILED SECTION OF PIPE WAS SENT TO THIRD PARTY LABORATORY FOR ANALYSIS. THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THE RUPTURE OCCURRED BY DUCTILE OVERLOAD AT THE APPROXIMATE 6:15 ORIENTATION IN AN AREA OF SIGNIFICANT WALL THINNING FROM INTERNAL CORROSION. THE INTERNAL CORROSION THAT PRECEDED THE RUPTURE WAS LIKELY DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF CORROSIVE GASES IN THE PIPELINE. TO PREVENT RECURRENCE, A NEW DRIP DESIGN WAS PREPARED TO BRING THE DRIP ABOVE GROUND SO IT CAN BE MONITORED MORE CLOSELY.