GULF SOUTH PIPELINE COMPANY, LLC

Incident Narrative

DURING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM EVENT ON 3/18/2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 05:23, GULF SOUTH EXPERIENCED A FIRE ON A SHAFER ACTUATOR AT ITS MCCOMB COMPRESSOR STATION IN WALTHALL COUNTY, MS DUE TO A LIGHTNING STRIKE. THE ON-CALL EMPLOYEE WAS ALREADY ONSITE IN RESPONSE TO A COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGE THAT ALSO RESULTED FROM THE STORM. THE FIRE OCCURRED OUTSIDE OF THE ESD SYSTEM AND ESD SYSTEM WAS NOT MANUALLY ACTIVATED TO ENSURE BLOWN-DOWN GAS WOULD NOT DRIFT INTO THE FIRE, WORSENING THE EVENT. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE AND PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED. THE STATION PIPING WAS DEPRESSURIZED TO 98 PSIG AND THE POWER GAS TAP WAS CLOSED TO ISOLATE FUEL GAS TO FIRE. ONCE THE AREA WAS SAFE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED RESIDUAL FIRE ON THE VALVE ACTUATOR. THE VALVE WAS INSPECTED AND DEEMED TO BE UNDAMAGED. THE SHAFER OPERATOR WAS REMOVED FROM THE VALVE AND GULF SOUTH HAS NO PLANS TO REPLACE IT. THE FACILITY WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. THROUGHOUT THE DAY, GULF SOUTH PERSONNEL AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS REMAINED IN CONTACT TO MONITOR THE EVENT. A SINGLE RESIDENTIAL DWELLING WAS EVACUATED AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION; THE DWELLING WAS NOT IMPACTED BY THIS EVENT. THE LIGHTNING STRIKE WAS NOT A DIRECT STRIKE BUT, INSTEAD, STRUCK A TREE. THE LIGHTNING STRIKE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE TRAVELED UNDERGROUND IN THE WET SOIL CONDITIONS FROM THE TREE ROOTS TO THE PIPELINE FACILITY RESULTING IN THE FIRE ON THE ACTUATOR.