TENNESSEE GAS PIPELINE CO (EL PASO)
gas_transmission Incident — — September 1, 2010
Incident Information
| Incident Date | September 1, 2010 |
| Operator | TENNESSEE GAS PIPELINE CO (EL PASO) |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 28.96352, -89.40272 |
Cause
| Cause | MATERIAL FAILURE OF PIPE OR WELD |
| Subcause | ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING-RELATED (NOT GIRTH WELD OR OTHER WELDS FORMED IN THE FIELD) |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $500,000 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
TENNESSEE GAS PIPELINE (TGP) COMPANY'S 10"" 526A-1200 PIPELINE RUPTURED SEPTEMBER 1, 2010. THE GAS IGNITED AND THE FIRE WAS WITNESSED BY ANOTHER OPERATOR ON A PLATFORM SOME DISTANCE AWAY. THE RUPTURE WAS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO NEAR PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LA. BLOCK VALVES WERE CLOSED AND THE PIPELINE WAS BEEN SHUT IN. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PIPE HAD RUPTURED IN THE PIPE'S LONGITUDINAL SEAM. PIECES WERE REMOVED AND A METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED. THIS ANALYSIS SHOWED PRE-EXISITNG WELD DEFECTS (LACK OF FUSION) THAT ARE LIKELY THE CAUSE OF THE RUPTURE. THE PIPELINE CONTINUES TO REMAIN DORMANT AS THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF THE BUSINESS WEIGHS OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE LINE.
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.