HAMPSHIRE GAS CO
gas_transmission Incident — — January 8, 2017
Incident Information
| Incident Date | January 8, 2017 |
| Operator | HAMPSHIRE GAS CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 39.31665, -78.63714 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $300,000 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON JANUARY 8, 2017, AT 4:00 AM AN ALARM WAS RECEIVED FROM HAMPSHIRE GAS WELL SITE #1. HAMPSHIRE GAS PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON SITE AT 4:10 AM AND OBSERVED A FIRE AT THE DEHYDRATOR FACILITIES AT THE SITE. THE REBOILER UNIT HAD CAUGHT FIRE. THE RESPONDING PERSONNEL MADE THE AREA SAFE BY VALVING OFF THE GAS TO THE INVOLVED FACILITY. THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION INDICATED THAT A PRESSURE REGULATING DEVICE FAILED TO REDUCE THE INCOMING PRESSURE TO THE LOWER SET POINT. THE PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICE DOWNSTREAM OF THE REGULATOR ALSO FAILED TO ACTIVATE TO RELIEVE THE OVERPRESSURE CONDITION. THESE FAILURES ALLOWED 600 PSI NATURAL GAS PRESSURE TO REACH THE LOW PRESSURE REGULATORS UTILIZED FOR INSTRUMENT GAS AND BURNER FUEL GAS IN THE DEHYDRATOR EQUIPMENT. THESE FIVE LOW PRESSURE DEVICES EXPERIENCED BRITTLE METAL FAILURE FROM THE HIGH PRESSURE GAS AND LOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. THE FRACTURED METAL AND STEEL SET SCREWS FROM THE LOW PRESSURE REGULATORS STRUCK THE CONCRETE PAD AND STEEL SKID SUPPORT STRUCTURE CREATING SPARKS THAT MAY HAVE PROVIDED A POSSIBLE IGNITION SOURCE FOR THE ESCAPING NATURAL GAS. THE NOTICE OF THE INCIDENT CAME FROM AN ALERTS FROM SCADA. INSTRUMENT FAULT ALERTS AND ABNORMAL VALUES AROUND THE REBOILER WERE NOTICED. FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THE EQUIPMENT FAILURE FOUND THAT HIGHER MOISTURE CONTENT GAS CAUSED HYDRATES TO FORM AND FREEZE INSIDE THE REGULATOR AND RELIEF VALVE BODY. THE HYDRATES FREEZING CAUSED THE FAILURE OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT WAS LOCATED ON THE FUEL TRAIN FOR THE REBOILER.
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.