PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON OCTOBER 23, 2015 AT 1123 HOURS, PG&E WAS NOTIFIED OF BLOWING GAS IN A FIELD NEAR 5430 PUTAH CREEK RD. DIXON, SOLANO COUNTY. PG&E GAS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED ON SITE AT 1206 HOURS AND A GAS PIPELINE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE (GPOM) CREW AT 1245 HOURS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION LINE L-150 AT MILEPOINT (MP) 7.23 HAD BEEN STRUCK BY A RIPPER BEING PULLED IN AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD BY A BULLDOZER BEING OPERATED BY NICHELINI CONSTRUCTION. THE EXCAVATOR HELD A USA TICKET #490858 AND THE PIPELINE HAD BEEN PROPERLY MARKED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE OPERATOR HAD MADE NUMEROUS PASSES OVER THE PIPELINE BUT FAILED TO RAISE THE RIPPER DURING THE PASS WHICH STRUCK THE PIPE. THE DEPTH, AT WHICH THE LINE WAS DAMAGED, WAS APPROXIMATELY 39 INCHES BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE SOIL. NO INJURIES, FATALITIES, OR IGNITION. DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION PIPELINE, INCLUDING REPAIRS IS APPROXIMATELY $300,000. PG&E SECURED THE AREA AND CLOSED MAINLINE VALVE V-9.7 AT 1504 HOURS AND 90% CLOSED V-5.96 AT 1617 HOURS IN ORDER TO KEEP A POSITIVE PRESSURE IN THE SHUT-IN SECTION OF PIPELINE. THE FLOW OF GAS WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED AT 1849 HOURS. REPAIRS ON THE PIPELINE WERE COMPLETED ON 10/23/15 AT 2238 HOURS AND THE PIPELINE WAS RESTORED TO NORMAL OPERATION ON 10/25/15 AT 0140 HOURS. GAS SERVICE TO THE CUSTOMERS WAS RESTORED BY 10/26/15 AT 1330 HOURS.