NORTHERN NATURAL GAS CO

Incident Narrative

ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:56 NORTHERN'S OPERATIONS COMMUNICATION CENTER RECEIVED A CALL FROM FRANKLIN COUNTY EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER THAT THERE WAS BLOWING GAS FROM THE SHEFFIELD 4-INCH (IAB54101) BRANCH LINE. PROPERTY OWNER ROY PLAGGE HAD BEEN INSTALLING AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE TILE IN AN UNHARVESTED CORN FIELD. PLAGGE IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AFTER THE BLOWING GAS WAS DETECTED. PLAGGE DID NOT HAVE A ONE-CALL TICKET AND NO UNDERGROUND UTILITIES WERE MARKED. THE TILING MACHINE PUNCTURED THE 4-INCH CREATING A HOLE ABOUT 2 INCHES LONG BY 1 INCH WIDE. THE PLOW TOOTH STUCK IN THE PIPE PROVIDED SOME LEAK STOPPAGE EFFECTS. THIS ALLOWED NORTHERN TO PROCEED SLOWLY AND DELIBERATELY WITH THE REPAIRS WITHOUT THE THREAT OF LOSING SERVICE. NORTHERN REPLACED 29 FEET OF 4-INCH PIPE AT THE PUNCTURE SITE. THE REPLACEMENT PIPE WAS PRETESTED 4-INCH, 0.250-INCH WALL THICKNESS PIPE. NORTHERN ALSO FOUND ANOTHER SPOT ABOUT 80 FEET DOWNSTREAM WHERE THE TILING MACHINE HAD CAUSED A GREATER THAN 6% DENT WITH METAL LOSS. TWENTY FIVE FEET OF PIPE WAS INSTALLED AT THIS LOCATION. MR PLAGGE HAS RECEIVED MAILINGS AND BROCHURES FROM NORTHERN'S PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAM FOR SEVERAL YEARS. HE IS AWARE OF THE ONE CALL SYTEM AND EVEN USED IT IN THE PAST ON THIS PROPERTY. NO CUSTOMERS LOST NATURAL GAS SERVICE DURING THE REPAIRS. EVEN FARM TAP CUSTOMERS NEVER LOST SERVICE THANKS TO NORTHERN'S VOLUME BOTTLE TRAILERS AND WARMER WEATHER.