COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORP
gas_transmission Incident — — February 22, 2011
Incident Information
| Incident Date | February 22, 2011 |
| Operator | COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORP |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 38.56418, -78.62286 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON FEBRUARY 22, 2011 @ 00:50, THE 4-INCH ESD VENT VALVE ON THE STATION DISCHARGE LINE INADVERTENTLY OPENED. AT THIS TIME THE STATION FIRE VALVES WERE OPEN BUT NEITHER COMPRESSOR UNIT WAS RUNNING. AIR TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 25○F. THIS VALVE REMAINED OPEN FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND CONTINUALLY VENTED GAS AS THE DISCHARGE PRESSURE AT THE STATION DROPPED. A COMPANY EMPLOYEE WHO LIVES NEAR THE STATION HEARD THE GAS BLOWING AND WENT TO FACILITY TO CHECK ON IT. UPON ARRIVAL HE FOUND THE OPEN VALVE AND ACTIVATED THE ESD SYSTEM TO ISOLATE THE STATION FROM THE PIPELINE AND TO ALLOW THE STATION PIPING TO COMPLETELY BLOWDOWN. THE EVIDENCE OF WATER AND OTHER SOLID MATERIAL IN THE ESD TRIGGER AIR SUPPLY PIPING HAD INITIATED (AS A RECOMMENDATION) A CREATION OF A WORK MANAGEMENT PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE WORK ORDER, TO BLOW ANY DEBRIS FROM THE ESD TRIGGER AIR LINES TO ALL OF THE FIRE VALVES AND VENT VALVES WHEN THE ESD SYSTEM IS LOADED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH OPERATING SEASON.
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.