NORTHWEST PIPELINE LLC
gas_transmission Incident — — December 16, 2013
Incident Information
| Incident Date | December 16, 2013 |
| Operator | NORTHWEST PIPELINE LLC |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 47.31472, -120.11799 |
Cause
| Cause | NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | HEAVY RAINS/FLOODS |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $100,000 |
| Emergency Response | $150,000 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THERE WAS A FIRE THAT CLEARED THE AREA OF GROUND VEGETATION. HEAVY RAIN THEN CAUSED A FLASH FLOOD. THE PIPELINE WAS BEING INSPECTED AFTER A FLASH FLOOD EVENT. SEVERAL DENTS WERE DISCOVERED, IN A DRY WASH, WHILE INSPECTING THE PIPELINE. THE PIPE WAS UT INSPECTED IN A FEW AREAS SHOWED 0.185 WT PIPE. WHILE CLEANING THE PIPELINE FOR FURTHER INSPECTION A PIN HOLE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED. THE PIPELINE PRESSURE WAS LOWERED, AND STOPPLE BYPASS WAS COMPLETED TO REMOVE THE DAMAGED SECTION OF PIPELINE. APPROXIMATELY 27' OF PIPE WAS REPLACED. *NOTE: IN PART B #11 OF THIS FORM IT ASKS FOR THE DEPTH-OF-COVER. AFTER THE FLASH FLOOD, THE TOP OF THE PIPE WAS JUST BARELY VISIBLE. THE FORM DIDN'T ALLOW FOR A DEPTH-OF-COVER VALUE OF LESS THAN 1 INCH. TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION AS BEST WE COULD WE STATED THAT THE DEPTH-OF-COVER WAS 1 INCH."
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.