SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS CO
gas_transmission Incident — — June 17, 2014
Incident Information
| Incident Date | June 17, 2014 |
| Operator | SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 30.17568, -91.60320 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $1,010,000 |
| Emergency Response | $4,000 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
AT 9:45 AM ON JUNE 17, 2014, A LEAK WAS DISCOVERED ON SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS COMPANY'S 20-INCH SOUTH SECTION 28 PIPELINE. THE LEAK IS LOCATED IN THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN, ST. MARTIN PARISH, LOUISIANA, AND IS LOCATED IN A LAND LOCKED POND APPROXIMATELY 750 FEET FROM BAYOU L'EMBARRAS. TECHNICIANS WERE AT THE LOCATION, PERFORMING VALVE MAINTENANCE, WHEN THEY NOTICED BUBBLES COMING FROM THE WATER BENEATH THE PLATFORM WHERE A 20-INCH MAIN LINE VALVE OPERATOR IS LOCATED. THE LEAK WAS ISOLATED AND THE PIPING WAS DEPRESSURIZED. EXCAVATION TO EXPOSE THE LEAK SITE WAS DIFFICULT DUE TO THE FACILITY'S DEPTH AND THE PRESENCE OF WATER. AFTER A COFFER DAM WAS CONSTRUCTED IN ORDER TO GAIN ACCESS, THE LEAK WAS FOUND TO BE COMING FROM AROUND THE O-RING IN A CHECK VALVE IMMEDIATELY UPSTREAM OF THE MAIN LINE VALVE. THE LEAKING CHECK VALVE WAS REPAIRED AND THE LINE WAS PLACED BACK INTO SERVICE.
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.