COLUMBIA GULF TRANSMISSION, LLC

Incident Narrative

LINE 100 WAS SUBJECT TO AN INSTALLATION OF A SECOND VALVE AFTER THE FIRST VALVE WAS DAMAGED DUE TO A FAILED STOPPLE INSTALLATION. THE FAILED STOPPLE INSTALLATION WAS REFERENCED IN THE NRC REPORT NO.: 1062828 REPORTED ON OCTOBER 12, 2013 14:55, WITH AN ODES REPORT NUMBER OF 20130100 - 16173. COLUMBIA GULF TRANSMISSION, LLC, (COLUMBIA) WAS ADVISED BY PHMSA SOUTHWESTERN REGION TO FILE A SECOND INCIDENT REPORT, SEPARATE FROM THE OCTOBER 12, 2013 REPORT TO ADDRESS SEPARATE INSTANCE. ON OCTOBER 13, 2013 FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER 12, 2013 EVENT, A NEW VALVE WAS INSTALLED DUE TO A CRACKED WELD. THE CRACKED WELD RESULTED IN ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF GAS RELEASED TO THE ATMOSPHERE (LESS THAN THE INCIDENT REPORTING THRESHOLD OF 3,000 MCF). HOWEVER; THE COST OF REPAIRS EXCEEDED $50,000. THE CRACK WAS FOUND IN A CIRCUMFERENTIAL WELD BETWEEN THE NEW 16"" HOT TAP VALVE AND 16"" BRANCH PIPING. THE FIRST VALVE, WAS REMOVED AND A NEW VALVE WAS INSTALLED. THE NEW WELD FOR THIS VALVE WAS INSPECTED BY NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING TECHNICIANS PASSED THE INSPECTION CODE REQUIREMENT. ON OCTOBER 14, 2013 THE PIPELINE WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. COLUMBIA'S ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT WORKED WITH THE CONTRACTED WELDING VENDOR TO ENSURE THAT THE PROPER WELDING PROCEDURES WERE FOLLOWED. IN ADDITION, COLUMBIA REVISED THE WELDING PROCEDURE USED IN THIS PROJECT TO AVOID ANY FUTURE RE-OCCURRENCE.