"TEXAS REPUBLIC UTILITY, LLC"
gas_distribution Incident — CONROE, TX — October 3, 2022
Incident Information
| Incident Date | October 3, 2022 |
| Operator | "TEXAS REPUBLIC UTILITY, LLC" |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | CONROE |
| State | TX |
| County | MONTGOMERY |
| Coordinates | 30.35311, -95.36215 |
Cause
| Cause | "PIPE, WELD, OR JOINT FAILURE" |
| Subcause | FUSION JOINT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 2 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $5,000 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"DURING A HOT TAP PROCEDURE TO CONNECT NEW SERVICE TO A RESIDENCE, THE ELECTROFUSION JOINT DID NOT SEAL COMPLETELY, RESULTING IN A LEAK. DURING AN ATTEMPT TO SQUEEZE OFF THE GAS SUPPLY SO REPAIRS COULD BE MADE, ONE OF TWO PROPERLY GROUNDED SQUEEZERS FAILED. AN ADDITIONAL SQUEEZER (ALSO GROUNDED) WAS BROUGHT INTO THE LOCATION TO SQUEEZE OFF THE SUPPLY ON THAT SIDE OF THE FUSION THE PROCEDURES WERE ADEQUATE AND FOLLOWED FOR ELECTROFUSION AND SQUEEZE OFF. EITHER A SPARK FROM INADVERTENT CONTACT OF METAL ON METAL OR STATIC ELECTRICITY CAUSED THE LEAK TO IGNITE, BURNING TWO OF OUR EMPLOYEES. ALL EMPLOYEES INVOLVED WHERE BOTH QUALIFIED TO PERFORM EACH TASK SUCH AS ELECTROFUSION AND SQUEEZE-OFF. ANOTHER NOTE TO ADD IS THAT THE NEW SERVICE LINE WAS PRESSURE TESTED PRIOR TO TAP."
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.