GAS TRANSMISSION NORTHWEST LLC
gas_transmission Incident — — March 14, 2013
Incident Information
| Incident Date | March 14, 2013 |
| Operator | GAS TRANSMISSION NORTHWEST LLC |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 46.85586, -117.80964 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | THREADED CONNECTION/COUPLING FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $313,000 |
| Emergency Response | $2,019 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
THE LANDOWNER REPORTED AN AREA OF DEAD VEGETATION OVER THE PIPELINE. PIPELINE PERSONNEL DETECTED GAS IN A PROBE HOLE OVER THE PIPELINE, BUT NOT IN THE AIR ABOVE GROUND. THE PIPELINE SECTION WAS ISOLATED AND PRESSURE REDUCED TO 125 PSIG. THE AREA WAS EXCAVATED AND A BRANCH CONNECTION WAS FOUND. THE 2"" BRANCH CONNECTION HAD A PIPE CAP AND THE LEAK WAS FOUND AT THE THREADS OF THE PIPE CAP. THE CAUSE OF THE LEAKAGE PAST THE THREADS OF THE FITTING IS UNKNOWN, BUT THE FITTING WAS NOT BROKEN. THE PIPELINE WAS VENTED TO NEAR ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE. THE BRANCH CONNECTION WAS SANDBLASTED AND THREADED CONNECTION WAS SEAL-WELDED. THE PIPELINE WAS PUT BACK IN OPERATION AND THE EXPOSED PIPE WAS RECOATED AND BACKFILLED.
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.