ANR PIPELINE CO
gas_transmission Incident —
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | ANR PIPELINE CO |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 41.62292, -88.58009 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
AT APPROXIMATELY 13:38 AUGUST 9, 2013, GAS THAT HAD LEAKED INTO THE CRANKCASE OF UNIT 1009 IGNITED, CAUSING AN EXPLOSION THAT DAMAGED THE ENGINE AND THE BUILDING. THREE TECHNICIANS RECEIVED FIRST AID ATTENTION FOR THEIR MINOR INJURIES AT A LOCAL MEDICAL CLINIC AND WERE SENT HOME. THE TECHNICIANS WERE PERFORMING MAINTENANCE TO REPLACE A WATER PUMP SHAFT SLEEVE IN THE UNIT. AFTER NUMEROUS UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE THE EXISTING SLEEVE ON AUGUST 8, IT WAS DECIDED TO APPLY HEAT TO THE SLEEVE USING AN OXY-ACETYLENE TORCH TO TRY TO LOOSEN IT ENOUGH FOR REMOVAL. ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 9, TWO ATTEMPTS USING HEAT WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. THE OIL SEAL WAS REMOVED TO PROVIDE MORE WORKING ROOM. THE CREW LEFT FOR LUNCH AFTER COMPLETING THE REMOVAL OF THE OIL SEAL. UPON RETURNING, THEY APPLIED HEAT TO THE WATER PUMP SHAFT SLEEVE FOR THE THIRD TIME, IGNITING GAS THAT HAD MIGRATED INTO THE CRANKCASE IN THE ABSENCE OF THE OIL SEAL. THE EXPLOSION DAMAGED THE ENGINE AND THE BUILDING.
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.