SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS CO
gas_transmission Incident — — July 23, 2014
Incident Information
| Incident Date | July 23, 2014 |
| Operator | SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 33.01677, -83.22673 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | DEFECTIVE OR LOOSE TUBING OR FITTING |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $10,000 |
| Emergency Response | $1,500 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
THE UPPER SECTION OF A RUN SWITCHING VALVE, THE ACTUATOR, CAUGHT FIRE AT SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS COMPANY'S DUBLIN #1 METER STATION ON JULY 23, 2014. THE FLAME REACHED A HEIGHT OF ABOUT FOUR FEET BUT NEVER SPREAD TO CAUSE DAMAGE ANYWHERE OTHER THAN INSIDE THE METER STATION FENCE. AS A PRECAUTION, THE HIGHWAY (HIGHWAY 441) NEAR THE METER STATION WAS CLOSED UNTIL THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT DIELECTRIC INSULATION IN A TUBING UNION BROKE DOWN OVER TIME RESULTING IN AN ELECTRICAL ARC THAT IGNITED RESIDUAL NATURAL GAS PRESENT IN TUBING FITTINGS AND THE VALVE ACTUATOR. THE AREA OF THE FIRE WAS ISOLATED TO CUT OFF FUEL AND THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED. REPAIRS WERE MADE TO ALL DAMAGED COMPONENTS AND THE METER STATION WAS PLACED BACK INTO SERVICE JULY 24, 2014.
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.