PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

gas_transmission Incident —

Incident Information

Report Date
OperatorPACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO
Commodity—
Pipeline Typegas_transmission

Location

State
Coordinates34.71460, -114.49333

Cause

CauseINCORRECT OPERATION
Subcause—

Casualties

Fatalities0
Injuries0

Costs

Property Damage
Lost Commodity
Public/Private Damage
Emergency Response
Environmental Remediation
Other Costs

Location Map

Incident Narrative

ON MAY 25, 2011 AT 1242 HOURS, PG&E DETERMINED THAT THE ODORANT LEVEL IN TRANSMISSION LINE 300B EXCEEDED LIMITS AT TOPOCK COMPRESSOR STATION. BECAUSE OF CONCERN OF ODOR COMPLAINTS FROM CUSTOMERS SMELLING THE ODORANT AT APPLIANCES THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN PG&E TERRITORY, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO VENT >3 MMCF OF GAS TO ATMOSPHERE AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS ON LINE 300B AND SOUTH OF RIDGECREST ON LINE 311. VENTING OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS: 1) AT 1840 HOURS ON 5/26/11 AND COMPLETED AT 0545 HOURS ON 5/27/11 AND 2) AT 1453 HOURS ON TUESDAY MAY 31 AND WAS COMPLETED LATER THE SAME DAY AT APPROXIMATELY 2200 HOURS. GAS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES WERE STANDING BY DURING THE VENTING, PURGING AND RE-PRESSURIZATION ACTIVITIES; HOWEVER NO CUSTOMER CALLS WHERE RECEIVED. THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF GAS VENTED IS 465 MMCF. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES. THERE WERE NO MAJOR MEDIA OR PUBLIC AGENCIES PRESENT. THIS INCIDENT IS REPORTABLE DUE TO DAMAGES EXCEEDING $50,000. ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2014, PG&E DETERMINED THAT THE VOLUME OF GAS INTENTIONALLY RELEASE SHOULD BE CORRECTED TO 465 MMCF AND THE COST OF GAS INTENTIONALLY RELEASED SHOULD BE CORRECTED TO $2,000,000. PLEASE NOTE THAT PART A, QUESTION 11, ""ESTIMATED VOLUME OF INTENTIONAL AND CONTROLLED RELEASE/BLOWDOWN"" SHOULD BE 465,000 MCF.

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.

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