PVR MARCELLUS GAS GATHERING, LLC
gas_transmission Incident — — November 23, 2012
Incident Information
| Incident Date | November 23, 2012 |
| Operator | PVR MARCELLUS GAS GATHERING, LLC |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 41.39106, -75.98530 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD AT 3:00 AM, A 4 INCH ANDERSON GREENWOOD PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE ON THE INLET SIDE OF THE CHAPIN DEHYDRATION FACILITY MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING NON-ODORIZED GAS TO BE RELEASED TO THE ATMOSPHERE. A PVR OPERATOR AND THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THE FACILITY. THE INCIDENT LASTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE LOCAL OPERATOR MANUALLY CLOSED THE BLOCK VALVE UNDER THE RELIEF VALVE TO STOP THE GAS FROM VENTING. SINCE NATURAL GAS IS LIGHTER THAN AIR, THE RELEASED VOLUME QUICKLY DISSIPATED WITHOUT ANY RISK TO THE PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENT, OR EMPLOYEES. AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION TEAM DETERMINED THAT THE PRESENCE OF ICE IN THE PILOT SENSING LINE OF THE VALVE WAS LIKELY THE CAUSE OF THE EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTION. THE VALVE WAS SENT TO A THIRD PARTY FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND ANALYSIS. THE THIRD PARTY COULD NOT DEFINITIVELY DETERMINE WHETHER ICE RESULTED IN THE MALFUNCTION. HOWEVER, THE REPORT DOES STATE THAT ICE COULD HAVE VERY WELL BEEN THE PRIMARY CAUSAL FACTOR. DUE TO REDUNDANT OVERPRESSURE PROTECTION ON THIS SYSTEM, PVR DOES NOT PLAN TO REINSTALL A VALVE AT THIS LOCATION.
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.