TARGA RESOURCES OPERATING LP
gas_transmission Incident — — May 1, 2012
Incident Information
| Incident Date | May 1, 2012 |
| Operator | TARGA RESOURCES OPERATING LP |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 31.55006, -101.46065 |
Cause
| Cause | CORROSION FAILURE |
| Subcause | EXTERNAL CORROSION |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $18,000 |
| Emergency Response | $500 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
INTEGRITY PRESSURE TESTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS TITLE 16, CHAPTER 8, SUBCHAPTER B WAS BEING CONDUCTED ON 05/01/2012. THE PRESSURE TEST ON THE PIPELINE WAS TO BE AT 1152 PSIG FOR 8 HRS. AS THE PIPELINE WAS BEING PRESSURED UP, A RUPTURE OF THE LINE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 1136 PSIG ON THE PIPELINE. THE CAUSE OF THE RUPTURE WAS DUE TO EXTERNAL CORROSION ON THE PIPELINE. A 30' TO 40' AREA OF THE PIPE HAD LOCALIZED PITTING LOCATED ON THE PIPING THAT WAS BLOWN AND REMOVED FROM THE AREA. SOIL SAMPLES FROM NEAR THE PIPE SHOWED HIGH LEVELS OF CHLORIDES. AN OIL WELL LOCATION WAS NEAR THE PIPE WITH THE REMNANTS OF THE BRINE PIT WITHIN 46' TO 50' OF THE PIPE. WHEN THE PIPELINE RUPTURED PERSONNEL WERE IN THE AREA TO ISOLATE VALVES. IT WAS DETERMINED 26,928 MCF WAS LOST IN THE BLOW OUT. WHEN THE RUPTURE OCCURRED A FIRE WAS STARTED, WHICH THEN STARTED A GRASS FIRE. REGAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND REAGAN COUNTY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMNET RESPONDED TO THE FIRE AND INCIDENT.
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.