"COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC"
gas_transmission Incident — — July 25, 2023
Incident Information
| Incident Date | July 25, 2023 |
| Operator | "COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC" |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 38.98527, -78.41963 |
Cause
| Cause | MATERIAL FAILURE OF PIPE OR WELD |
| Subcause | ENVIRONMENTAL CRACKING-RELATED |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $6,748,304 |
| Emergency Response | $51,568 |
| Other Costs | $29,700 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"AT APPROXIMATELY 8:41 A.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME ON JULY 25, 2023, CGT'S LINE VB RUPTURED (THE INCIDENT). THE INCIDENT OCCURRED NEAR INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 81 (I-81) IN STRASBURG, VA, AND THE RESULTING FIRE OF THE RELEASED GAS CAUSED I-81 TO CLOSE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS. THE INCIDENT RESULTED IN THE EJECTION OF SEVERAL PIECES OF 26-INCH PIPE, WHICH LANDED ON THE PIPELINE RIGHT-OF-WAY. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES, FATALITIES, OR EVACUATIONS. THE LINE VB FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY STRESS CORROSION CRACKING (SCC) DETERMINED BY METALLURGICAL TESTING COMPLETED BY AN INDEPENDENT TESTING FACILITY. THE ROOT CAUSE FAILURE ANALYSIS (RCFA) CONCLUDED THE CAUSE OF THE RUPTURE WAS DUE TO NEAR-NEUTRAL PH (NNPH) SCC BECAUSE OF THE LOCAL CONDITIONS SUPPORTED THE INITIATION AND GROWTH. CONDITIONS INCLUDE THE OPERATING STRESS, SUSCEPTIBLE MATERIAL TYPICAL FOR THE PIPE VINTAGE, THE AREA OF COATING DISBONDMENT AND/OR ROCKY OUTCROP SHIELDING THE PIPE FROM CORROSION PROTECTION, EXTERNAL CORROSION SERVING AS A CRACK RAISER AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AT THE PIPE SURFACE PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH PF THE NNPH SCC (E.G. WET-DRY CONDITIONS, NEUTRAL PH, BICARBONATE IONS)."
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.