TENNESSEE GAS PIPELINE CO (EL PASO)
gas_transmission Incident — — November 30, 2010
Incident Information
| Incident Date | November 30, 2010 |
| Operator | TENNESSEE GAS PIPELINE CO (EL PASO) |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 31.78692, -93.12559 |
Cause
| Cause | MATERIAL FAILURE OF PIPE OR WELD |
| Subcause | DESIGN-, CONSTRUCTION-, INSTALLATION-, OR FABRICATION-RELATED |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $52,000 |
| Emergency Response | $10,000 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
A LOUD NOISE WAS REPORTED TO TENNESSEE GAS PIPELINE (TGP) BY A MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN THE VICINITY OF TGP PIPELINE FACILITIES IN NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA. UPON INITIAL INVESTIGATION, TGP OPERATIONS PERSONNEL FOUND A NATURAL GAS LEAK IN THE 100-2 PIPELINE. VISUAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM A CRACK IN A WRINKLE BEND. THE CRACK WAS 1/2"" WIDE AND PROPAGATED FOR A LENGTH OF 50.5"" AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE PIPELINE. METALLUGICAL ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE CRACK IN THE WRINKLE BEND WAS LIKELY DUE TO CONCENTRATED MECHANICAL STRESSES COMING FROM EXTERNAL STRESSES FROM PROBABLE SHIFTING OF THE SURROUNDING SOIL, TRIAXIAL STATE OF STRESSES INHERENT TO IN-SERVICE WRINKLE BENDS (GEOMETRIC), AND INTERNAL LINE PRESSURE FROM NORMAL PIPELINE OPERATIONS.
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.