PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

A PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC (PG&E) CONTRACTOR WAS PERFORMING WORK TO CUT AND CAP THE PREVIOUSLY DEACTIVATED LINE 172A PIPELINE. AT 1510 HOURS, THE CONTRACTOR'S EMPLOYEE BURNED A SMALL HOLE INTO WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE DEACTIVATED PIPE, AND OBSERVED A HISSING NOISE. WORK WAS HALTED AND A PG&E SUPERVISOR WAS CALLED TO THE SITE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PIPE BEING WORKED ON WAS THE PRESSURIZED 16-INCH TRANSMISSION LINE L-116. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, NO IGNITION, AND NO MEDIA ON SITE. PG&E INITIATED EMERGENCY RESPONSE OPERATIONS, L-116 WAS DEPRESSURIZED AT 2245 HOURS ON 3/25/14 AND REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED BY WELDING A 2-INCH SAVE-A-VALVE TEE OVER THE SMALL HOLE. PRESSURE IN THE PIPELINE WAS RESTORED AT 0200 HOURS ON 3/26/14. SERVICE TO ONE CUSTOMER WAS INTERRUPTED. THE CONTRACTOR HAD A VALID USA TICKET, HOWEVER THE EXCAVATION AREA WAS NOT DELINEATED, THEREFORE, THERE WAS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOCATE AND MARK THE GAS FACILITIES WERE NOT PROPERLY IDENTIFIED AND MARKED. THE CONTRACTOR PROCEEDED TO PERFORM WORK ON THE ACTIVE LINE WITHOUT PROPERLY IDENTIFYING IF THE LINE WAS DEACTIVATED. COSTS TO MAKE REPAIRS WERE ESTIMATED TO EXCEED $50000 AT 0008 HOURS ON 3/26/14.