PIEDMONT NATURAL GAS CO INC
gas_transmission Incident — — October 25, 2023
Incident Information
| Incident Date | October 25, 2023 |
| Operator | PIEDMONT NATURAL GAS CO INC |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 34.75496, -79.32074 |
Cause
| Cause | OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | PREVIOUS MECHANICAL DAMAGE NOT RELATED TO EXCAVATION |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $350,000 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"OPERATOR WAS IN THE PROCESS OF EXCAVATING A VALVE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DECOMMISSIONING A PIPELINE. WHILE HAND DIGGING THE VALVE, OPERATOR DISCOVERED A LEAK ON THE VALVE AFTER PARTIALLY REMOVING THE DIRT FROM AROUND THE VALVE. DECOMMISSIONING WORK WAS STOPPED AND A REPAIR OF THE LEAK WAS INITIATED. OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION THREE NEARBY HOMES WERE TEMPORARILY EVACUATED WHILE ASSESSING THE LEAK. VALVE WAS REMOVED AND LINE 88 WAS PLACED ON A SEPARATE TEMPORARY FEED. DECOMMISSIONING ACTIVITY RESUMED FOLLOWING REPAIR. ANALYSIS OF THE VALVE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE DAMAGE. PRIOR LEAK SURVEYS HAD NOT REVEALED A LEAK. MOST RECENT LEAK SURVEY WAS ON MAY 2023. BECAUSE THIS WAS A PINHOLE LEAK, VOLUME OF GAS RELEASED COULD NOT BE DETERMINED."
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.