J - W GATHERING CO

Incident Narrative

A BURIED SIX INCH NATURAL GAS GATHERING PIPELINE RUPTURED. THE RUPTURE CAUSED NATURAL GAS TO ESCAPE THE PIPELINE AND VENT TO ATMOSHPERE. COMPANY PERSONNEL RESPONDED TO SCADA ALARMS AND IDENTIFIED THE FAILURE. THE EFFECTED PIPE SEGMENT WAS ISLOLATED AND DEPRESSURIZED. THE FAILED SEGMENT OF PIPE WAS REPLACED, AND THE PIPELINE WAS PLACED BACK IN SERVICE AT APPROXIMATELY 16:00 THE SAME DATE. THE AFFECTED SEGMENT WAS SENT TO THE LAB FOR ANALYSIS. THERE WAS, WHAT APPEARED TO BE, DAMAGE TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE PIPE FROM A PREVIOUS (THIRD PARTY) EXCAVATION. THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE INCIDENT OR EXCAVATION THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE DAMAGE. SUPPLENTAL REPORT: THE LAB ANALYSIS CONCLUDED: 1. THE OUTSIDE OF THE PIPE EXHIBITED TWO LONGITUDINAL BANDS OF GOUGES. THE RUPTURE RAN ALONG THE EDGE OF ONE BAND, AND THEN CONTINUED AT EACH END IN A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DIRECTION. 2. THE WALL THICKNESS WAS SATISFACTORY AWAY FROM THE RUPTURE AND ALONG ONE SIDE OF IT, BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RUPTURE, THE WALL THICKNESS WAS 0.010 TO 0.035 INCH THINNER, DUE TO CORROSION AS A RESULT OF DAMAGE TO THE PROTECTIVE COATING AND THE SUBSEQUENT EXPOSURE TO THE ENVIRONMENT. 3. DIAMETER MEASUREMENTS AT THE RUPTURE AND AWAY FROM IT INDICATED THAT THE PIPE HAD NOT SWOLLEN BEFORE RUPTURING. 4. AN API TENSION TEST SHOWED SATISFACTORY YIELD AND TENSILE STRENGTHS.