VIRGINIA NATURAL GAS
gas_distribution Incident — CITY OF NEWPORT NEWS, VA
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | VIRGINIA NATURAL GAS |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | CITY OF NEWPORT NEWS |
| State | VA |
| County | CITY OF NEWPORT NEWS |
| Coordinates | 37.12420, -76.53202 |
Cause
| Cause | NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
THE COMPANY WAS MADE AWARE OF A LEAK VIA A CUSTOMER LEAK CALL ON DECEMBER 23, 2020. LEAK WAS IMMEDIATELY INVESTIGATED AND GRADED AS A GRADE 2. ON JANUARY 8, A SUBSEQUENT LEAK INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED THE LEAK WAS ON A 150 LBS. MAIN. THE LEAK WAS STILL A GRADE 2. ON JANUARY 12, 2021, THE LEAK WAS UPGRADED TO GRADE 1 DUE TO MIGRATION AND THE COMPANY BEGAN MONITORING THE AREA 24 HOURS A DAY. STOPPLE FITTINGS WERE USED TO STOP THE FLOW OF GAS ON JANUARY 20, 2021. THE SEGMENT OF MAIN WAS PURGED AND REPLACED COMMENCING ON JANUARY 21 BEFORE BEING COMPLETED ON JANUARY 22. THE ABANDONED SEGMENT OF PIPE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE WELDING SHOP WHERE END CAPS WERE INSTALLED AND PRESSURE WAS REINTRODUCED TO IDENTIFY CAUSE OF THE LEAK. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE COMPANY CONCLUDED THE LEAK CAUSE TO BE GROUND SETTLEMENT WHICH CAUSED MISALIGNMENT OF THE FLANGE RESULTING IN A PINHOLE LEAK ON THE GASKET.
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.