EL PASO NATURAL GAS CO
gas_transmission Incident — — July 27, 2011
Incident Information
| Incident Date | July 27, 2011 |
| Operator | EL PASO NATURAL GAS CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 35.61679, -109.46956 |
Cause
| Cause | MATERIAL FAILURE OF PIPE OR WELD |
| Subcause | DESIGN-, CONSTRUCTION-, INSTALLATION-, OR FABRICATION-RELATED |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $159,800 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
A SECURITY GUARD CONTACTED EL PASO NATURAL GAS (EPNG) IN THE PRE-DAWN HOURS OF JULY 27, 2011, TO REPORT WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS. EPNG PERSONNEL CONFIRMED A PRESSURE DROP IN ITS 30"" 1201 PIPELINE AND FIELD TECHNICIANS RESPONDED TO THE SCENE. THERE WAS NO FIRE OR EXPLOSION, ONLY A RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS FROM A CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACK IN A GIRTH WELD. VISUAL EXAMINATION AND METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO DUCTILE OVERLOAD POSSIBLY RESULTING FROM EXTERNAL STRESSES. THE PIPELINE HAS BEEN REPAIRED AND PLACED BACK INTO SERVICE.
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.