COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC

Incident Narrative

ON JANUARY 12, 2014, A PIPELINE FAILURE OCCURRED ON LINE PM-83, A COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC LINE. THE PIPELINE FAILURE OCCURRED IN A REMOTE CLASS 1 LOCATION, APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE EAST OF THE SMALL VILLAGE OF WARCO, NEAR MARTIN KENTUCKY IN FLOYD COUNTY. OPERATIONS PERSONNEL ACTED PROMPTLY TO CLOSE VALVE PM-83-100 TO ISOLATE THE LINE. THE OTHER END WAS CAPPED DUE TO THE STRIP MINING ACTIVITIES. THE LINE FAILED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND PARTIALLY PULLED APART BUT DID NOT SEPARATE. THE LINE IS CURRENTLY BLOWN DOWN AND OUT OF SERVICE. THIS LINE WILL REMAIN OUT OF SERVICE UNTIL THE INTEGRITY OF THE PIPE IN THE AREA OF THE FAILURE CAN BE CONFIRMED AND THE AREA REPAIRED. A SCADA SYSTEM IS IN PLACE ON A COMMON PIPELINE SUPPLYING THE LINE IN QUESTION WHERE THIS SYSTEM WAS USED FOR IDENTIFICATION AND VERIFICATION OF THE INCIDENT. INITIAL INCIDENT REPOT WAS SUBMITTED ON FEBRUARY 10, 2014 7/26/2017 - RESULTS FROM THE METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS INDICATE THE RUPTURE INITIATED AT A FIELD GIRTH WELD WHICH WAS LOCATED BETWEEN PIPE AND ELBOW FITTING. THE RUPTURE OCCURRED DUE TO OVERLOAD FROM AN AXIAL STRESS SUCH AS THOSE CAUSED BY LAND/SOIL MOVEMENT. THE LINE REMAINS OUT OF SERVICE PENDING REPAIRS. A 3-5 YEAR ESTIMATE IS PREDICTED BEFORE REPAIRS ARE MADE.