EL PASO NATURAL GAS CO
gas_transmission Incident — — July 25, 2023
Incident Information
| Incident Date | July 25, 2023 |
| Operator | EL PASO NATURAL GAS CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 34.53512, -106.67894 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $284 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"ON JULY 25TH AT 8:27PM AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN OF BELEN COMPRESSOR STATION OCCURRED DUE TO A FIRE EYE ALARM BEING ACTIVATED FROM LIGHTNING IN THE AREA. OPERATOR RESOURCES ARRIVED ONSITE AT 9:23PM AND DISCOVERED THAT A STATION EMERGENCY VALVE FAILED TO CLOSE DURING THE ESD, AND GAS WAS BEING RELEASED. THE OPERATOR CLOSED THE VALVE AND STOPPED THE RELEASE OF GAS AT 9:44PM. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED LIQUIDS THROUGHOUT VALVE OPERATOR CONTROL SYSTEM TUBING. ALL TUBING LINES, CONTROL BLOCKS AND SOLENOIDS WERE CLEANED AND REASSEMBLED. TECHNICIANS OPERATED THE VALVE USING THE HAND CONTROLS AND SIMULATED A STATION ESD THREE SEPARATE TIMES. THE VALVE OPERATED AS INTENDED DURING EACH TEST."
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.