NATIONAL FUEL GAS SUPPLY CORP
gas_transmission Incident — — March 5, 2015
Incident Information
| Incident Date | March 5, 2015 |
| Operator | NATIONAL FUEL GAS SUPPLY CORP |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 42.04997, -77.84115 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $8,500 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
BEECH HILL COMPRESSOR STATION STARTING GAS REGULATOR MALFUNCTIONED RAISING THE DOWNSTREAM PRESSURE ABOVE THE 175 PSIG SET POINT TO 341 PSIG. THE OVER PRESSURIZATION CAUSED THE RUPTURE DISC RATED AT 311 PSIG TO BURST AT 17:54 ON MARCH 5. THE DOWNSTREAM PIPING HAS AN MAOP OF 300 PSIG AND WAS NOT IN USE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE PRESSURE DROPPED IMMEDIATELY TO APPROXIMATELY 140 PSIG AS THE RUPTURE DISC RELIEVED THE PIPELINE PRESSURE. THE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED OF A FIRE AT THE FACILITY AT 05:04 ON MARCH 6. AT 05:20, COMPANY PERSONNEL ACTIVATED THE EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN SYSTEM. SITE SECURITY CAMERAS SHOW THAT THE GAS DISCHARGE DID NOT IGNITE UNTIL 04:43 ON MARCH 6. THE REGULATOR WAS REPLACED AND THE STATION WAS BACK IN SERVICE AT 15:50 ON MARCH 6.
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.