LOUISVILLE GAS & ELECTRIC CO
gas_transmission Incident — — January 13, 2022
Incident Information
| Incident Date | January 13, 2022 |
| Operator | LOUISVILLE GAS & ELECTRIC CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 37.16773, -85.70769 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | DEFECTIVE OR LOOSE TUBING OR FITTING |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $17,000,000 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $78,000 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON JANUARY 13, 2022 AT 04:54 A.M. CST, A SENIOR OPERATOR AT MAGNOLIA COMPRESSOR STATION (UNMANNED FROM 05:00 P.M. TO 05:00 A.M.) REPORTED FOR THE START OF HIS SHIFT AND NOTICED THE SECURITY VIDEO FEED OF THE UNMANNED CENTER COMPRESSOR STATION FAILED. HE ALSO OBSERVED THERE WAS NO FLOW OF GAS ON THE SCADA SYSTEM. THE OPERATOR WAS ABLE TO REWIND THE VIDEO FEED AND REALIZED A FIRE HAD STARTED AT 03:25 A.M. HE CALLED HIS SUPERVISOR AND AN EMPLOYEE THAT LIVED NEAR THE CENTER COMPRESSOR STATION. THAT EMPLOYEE CALLED 911 AT 05:15 A.M., ARRIVED AT THE STATION AT 05:19 A.M., AND WAS ABLE TO SHUT OFF THE GAS BY 05:21 A.M. THE INCIDENT DID NOT CAUSE ANY INJURIES, THIRD-PARTY PROPERTY DAMAGE, OR LOSS OF GAS SUPPLY. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED. A RIGID, STAINLESS STEEL TUBING COMPRESSION FITTING USED FOR THE GAS PRESSURE MEASUREMENT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. AS NOTED IN PART A 16(B), THE CENTER STORAGE FIELD AND THE FLOW OF GAS WERE RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATIONS ON 01/25/2022. THE COMPRESSOR STATION HAS BEEN PHYSICALLY DISCONNECTED FROM THE CENTER STORAGE FIELD. THE COMPANY HAS NOT MADE A DECISION ON WHETHER THE DAMAGED BUILDING AND EQUIPMENT WILL BE REPLACED.
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.