NEW MEXICO GAS COMPANY
gas_distribution Incident — ALBUQUERQUE, NM
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | NEW MEXICO GAS COMPANY |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | ALBUQUERQUE |
| State | NM |
| County | BERNALILLO |
| Coordinates | 35.09544, -106.61496 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
A LOCAL PLUMBING COMPANY WAS PERFORMING WORK AT A RESIDENCE AT 1241 PRINCETON DR. N.E., ALBUQUERQUE, NM AND REPORTED THE LOCKNUT SHUT OFF VALVE BROKE WHILE TURNING OFF THE FLOW OF GAS TO THE NMGC METER. UPON INVESTIGATION, ONE OF THE PLUMBERS SAID THAT THEY WERE DISCONNECTING A HEATER FROM THE HOUSE PIPING AND SAID HE SMELLED GAS AND IDENTIFIED A LEAK. HE IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED OUT OF THE HOUSE TO TURN OFF THE GAS SUPPLY. SPECIFICALLY, DURING HIS ATTEMPT TO TURN THE LOCKNUT SHUT-OFF VALVE, THE PLUMBER CAUSED THE THREADS OF THE BRASS CORE OF THE SHUT-OFF VALVE TO BE SHEARED OFF AT THE NUT CONNECTION. THE RESULT CAUSED HIGH PRESSURE GAS TO VENT TO ATMOSPHERE. AT 10:53 A.M., ALBUQUERQUE FIRE CALLED NMGC TO ADVISE THE HOUSE EXPLODED. BAR HOLE TESTING INDICATED NO GAS AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE HOME AND SURROUNDING RESIDENCES. 5 RESIDENCES WERE EVACUATED. READINGS CONFIRMED PROPER ODORANT AT 0.33% GAS-IN-AIR. FINAL INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE CRAWL SPACE VENT WAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE RISER. GAS VENTING TO ATMOSPHERE FROM THE SHEARED OFF NUT CONNECTION MIGRATED ABOVE GROUND INTO THE CRAWL SPACE AND WAS IGNITED BY A HEATER IN THE CRAWL SPACE CAUSING THE EXPLOSION.
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.