LOUISVILLE GAS & ELECTRIC CO
gas_transmission Incident — — October 7, 2014
Incident Information
| Incident Date | October 7, 2014 |
| Operator | LOUISVILLE GAS & ELECTRIC CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 38.00263, -86.06490 |
Cause
| Cause | CORROSION FAILURE |
| Subcause | INTERNAL CORROSION |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $7,474 |
| Emergency Response | $48,280 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
AT APPROXIMATELY 7:40 AM ON OCTOBER 7, 2014, A 4-INCH PIPELINE IN DOE RUN INDIANA NATURAL GAS STORAGE FIELD RUPTURED RESULTING IN THE ACCIDENTAL RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS, BRINE WATER, AND DEBRIS. THE PIPELINE WAS LOCATED IN A REMOTE AREA AND WAS NOT DETECTED UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 2:07 PM WHEN AN OPERATOR EMPLOYEE DETECTED THE SOUND OF BLOWING GAS. THE OPERATOR EMPLOYEE QUICKLY IDENTIFIED THE FAILURE LOCATION AND IMMEDIATELY ISOLATED THE PIPELINE SECTION THAT FAILED. FIELD EXAMINATION OF THE FAILURE INDICATED A PIPE SEAM FAILURE. ANALYSIS OF THE CORROSION CHARACTERISTICS AND RECOVERED SLUDGE SAMPLE, AND REVIEW OF THE GAS COMPOSITION INDICATES THAT THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF THE INTERNAL CORROSION WAS EXPOSURE TO LOW PH BRINE. THE LOW PH BRINE WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY WELL ACIDIZING FLUID. PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED BY JULY 27, 2015. THE NEW PIPELINE WAS PUT BACK IN SERVICE ON OCTOBER 7, 2015.
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.