COLUMBIA GULF TRANSMISSION, LLC

Incident Narrative

ON NOVEMBER 16, 2014, A TUG BOAT TRAVELING ALONG THE INTRACOASTAL CANAL IN BOURG, LA SPOTTED BUBBLES. THE CREW OF THIS BOAT CONTACTED THE COAST GUARD, WHO IN TURN CONTACTED COLUMBIA GULF TRANSMISSION, LLC (COLUMBIA) TO INVESTIGATE IF THE SUBJECT BUBBLES WERE EMANATING FROM A NEAR-BY LINE THAT RUNS IN THIS AREA. COLUMBIA OPERATIONS PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED TO INVESTIGATE THIS REPORTED LEAK. AFTER CLOSING THE TWO MAINLINE VALVES THAT ARE WITHIN THE UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM SEGMENT OF THE LINE, BUBBLES KEPT SURFACING. SAMPLES OF THE RELEASED MATERIAL WERE COLLECTED AND SENT TO THE LABORATORY FOR ANALYSIS. THE LINE PRESSURE WAS RESTRICTED TO ABOUT 125 PSIG TO ENSURE THAT THE RELEASED BUBBLES WERE IDENTIFIABLE FOR REPAIRS, IF THE LINE TURNS OUT TO BE COLUMBIA'S. THEREAFTER, THE AREA WAS MADE SAFE WHERE PIPELINE OPERATIONS PERSONNEL MANNED THE TWO MAINLINE VALVES OVERNIGHT, MONITORING LINE PRESSURE VIA DIGITAL PRESSURE GAUGES. THE FOLLOWING DAY (NOVEMBER 17, 2014), THE LINE RELEASING BUBBLES WAS DECLARED AS COLUMBIA OWNED, OPERATED AND MAINTAINED LINE. THEN A REPORT TO THE NRC WAS MADE ON THAT MORNING DUE TO THE EXPECTED REPAIR COSTS THAT WILL EXCEED $50,000. THE UNINTENDED RELEASE OF MATERIAL DID NOT EXCEED 3,000 MCF. NO EVIDENCE OF SHEEN WAS NOTED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE RELEASE FOR MATERIAL ON THE SURFACE OF THE WATERWAY. AFTER THE CAUSE ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED, IT WAS DETERMINED THE PIPELINE HAD BEEN DAMAGED BY AN ANCHOR BEING DROPPED AND DRAGGED ACROSS THE PIPELINE. THE THIRD PARTY DAMAGE CONSISTED OF TWO DENTS AND ONE GOUGE AREA. THE GOUGE AREA HAD A PINHOLE LEAK. THE DAMAGE TO THE PIPELINE HAS BEEN REPAIRED BUT HAS NOT BEEN RETURNED TO SERVICE SINCE THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT.