KINDER MORGAN TEJAS PIPELINE
gas_transmission Incident —
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | KINDER MORGAN TEJAS PIPELINE |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 28.67790, -96.93816 |
Cause
| Cause | MATERIAL FAILURE OF PIPE OR WELD |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
AT 2:54AM ON FEBRUARY 18, 2020, KINDER MORGAN TEJAS PIPELINE COMPANY, LLC (TEJAS) GAS CONTROL RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE INVISTA PLANT IN BLOOMINGTON, TEXAS NOTIFYING TEJAS OF A GAS RELEASE COMING FROM THE TEJAS RIGHT OF WAY. TEJAS EMPLOYEES ARRIVED ON SITE AT 3:30AM AND AT 3:35AM CONFIRMED DISCOVERY OF A REPORTABLE RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS. AT 3:35, TEJAS ISOLATED THE PIPE SEGMENT BY CLOSING THE UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM ISOLATION VALVES. TO REPAIR THE PIPELINE, THE RUPTURED SEGMENT OF PIPE WAS CUT OUT, REPLACED, AND HYDROTESTED. THE LINE WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE AT 13:45 ON APRIL 21, 2020. THE FAILED PIPE SEGMENT WAS CUT OUT AND SENT TO A KINDER MORGAN DESIGNATED METALLURGICAL LABORATORY FOR TESTING. THE METALLURGICAL REPORT REVEALED THAT THE GAS RELEASE WAS CAUSED BY A RUPTURE THAT ORIGINATED IN THE ERW LONG SEAM. AREAS OF LACK OF FUSION IN THE WELD BOND LINE DECREASED THE WELD STRENGTH AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE LACK OF FUSION OCCURRED DURING THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING OF THE ERW PIPE.
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.