ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION - MID-TEX

Incident Narrative

ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2020, A THIRD-PARTY EXCAVATOR WAS BORING TELECOMMUNICATIONS NEAR 2500 E PLANO PKWY AND DAMAGED A MARKED 6-INCH POLY MAIN. ATMOS ENERGY TECHNICIAN ARRIVED AT 12:45 PM AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE AT THAT TIME. CREWS RESPONDED, ARRIVING AT 12:55 PM. ON 9/25/2020 AN ATMOS ENERGY TECHNICIAN CHECKED FOR ODORANT WHICH RESULTED IN READILY DETECTABLE ODORANT LEVELS AT THIS LOCATION. PART E SECTION 6 INDICATES THAT THE ODORANT LEVEL WAS NOT MEASURED, HOWEVER WE DID PERFORM THE ODORANT CHECK WHICH WAS ALSO WITNESSED BY THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS INSPECTOR ON THIS DATE. THE LEAK WAS SECURED AT 5:20 AM ON 9/25/2020, BY SQUEEZING OFF THE MAIN. THE MAIN WAS CAPPED AND THE SECTION OF PIPE IS STILL SHUT DOWN AT THIS TIME. THERE WERE NO CUSTOMERS LOST DUE TO TWO-WAY FEED. A NEW PROJECT TO REPLACE THE SECTION COMMENCED ON OCTOBER 26, 2020 AND REPAIR WAS COMPLETED BY BORING IN A 350-FOOT SECTION OF 6-INCH MAIN. THE NEW SECTION WAS TIED IN ON NOVEMBER 30, 2020. ATMOS ENERGY'S INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE EXCAVATOR HAD CALLED IN A LOCATE TICKET THAT WAS NOT YET DUE AT THE TIME OF DAMAGE, AND HAD NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED WHEN THE EXCAVATOR CHOSE TO PROCEED WITH THE EXCAVATION BASED UPON ACCURATE MARKINGS THAT HAD BEEN PUT IN PLACE FOR A PRIOR LOCATE TICKET REQUESTED BY ANOTHER CONTRACTOR IN THAT AREA. THE EXCAVATOR FAILED TO POTHOLE THE EXISTING MARKS TO VERIFY THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE GAS LINE. NOTE THAT THE INFORMATION IN PART A4 NOW REFLECTS THE DATE AND TIME AT WHICH THE EVENT THAT GAVE RISE TO THIS INCIDENT WAS INITIALLY REPORTED TO ATMOS ENERGY. HOWEVER, THIS EVENT DID NOT BECOME A REPORTABLE INCIDENT UNTIL THE CRITERIA OF PART 191.3 WERE MET AT 10:02 AM ON 9/25/20, WHICH IS WHEN ATMOS ENERGY DETERMINED THAT THE PROPERTY DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE EVENT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO EXCEED $50,000. INITIAL REPORT (1288239) WAS MADE TO THE NRC AT 10:19 AM CST. THE 48-HOUR UPDATE TO NRC (1288379) WAS PROVIDED AT 9:54 PM CST ON 9/27/20.