VIRGINIA NATURAL GAS

Incident Narrative

VIRGINIA NATURAL GAS EMPLOYEES SMELLED GAS WHILE PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT THE LADYSMITH M&R STATION (M&R-143) ON 01/18/12. ALL ABOVE GROUND PIPING AND EQUIPMENT WAS IMMEDIATELY INVESTIGATED AT THE SITE AND NO LEAKS WERE FOUND. VNG CALLED IN A MISS UTILITY LOCATE TICKET TO EXCAVATE IN THE AREA TO SEARCH FOR THE POTENTIAL LEAK. THE TICKET WAS CLEARED AND EXCAVATION BEGAN ON 01/23/12. A SMALL LEAK WAS FOUND AT THE 24 INCH WELD-END INSULATOR THAT WAS NEAR THE LADYSMITH M&R STATION. VNG NOTIFIED THE VIRGINIA STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION OF THE FOUND LEAK AND BEGAN STAGING EQUIPMENT, MATERIAL AND LABOR TO MAKE THE REPAIR. THE AFFECTED SECTION OF PIPELINE WAS ISOLATED BY CLOSING MLV-140 AND MLV-145, AND THE 2-MILE SECTION OF 24 INCH PIPELINE WAS PURGED OF GAS. AFTER THE SECTION OF PIPELINE WAS FREE OF GAS, THE FAILED INSULATOR WAS REMOVED AND A LENGTH OF PRE-TESTED PIPE WAS INSTALLED. THE PIPELINE WAS RE-ACTIVATED ON 01/25/12. IT IS NOTED THAT THE WEATHER WAS MILD AND DOWNSTREAM CUSTOMERS HAD ALTERNATE SOURCES OF FUEL TO OPERATE AND/OR DID NOT NEED TO OPERATE. THE FAILED 24 INCH WELD-END INSULATOR WAS SHIPPED TO AN INDEPENDENT, THIRD-PARTY LABORATORY FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THE INDEPENDENT LABORATORY CONCLUDED THAT THE INSULATOR SUFFERED EITHER A SINGLE, SEVERE BENDING MOMENT OR SEVERAL, SUCCESSIVE, LESS CATASTROPHIC BENDING MOMENTS THAT CAUSED THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR EPOXY TO CRACK AND OPEN A PATH AT THE CENTER GASKET FOR MATERIAL TO ESCAPE. THE ONLY KNOWN PHYSICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE OF THE FITTING IS THE EARTHQUAKE THAT OCCURRED IN VIRGINIA ON AUGUST 23, 2011.