NORTHERN STATES POWER CO OF MINNESOTA

gas_distribution Incident — WOODBURY, MN

Incident Information

Report Date
OperatorNORTHERN STATES POWER CO OF MINNESOTA
Commodity—
Pipeline Typegas_distribution

Location

CityWOODBURY
StateMN
CountyWASHINGTON
Coordinates44.92002, -92.94415

Cause

CauseEXCAVATION DAMAGE
Subcause—

Casualties

Fatalities0
Injuries0

Costs

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

Location Map

Incident Narrative

ON MAY 8, 2020, NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY, MINNESOTA (NSPM) WAS NOTIFIED REGARDING A BLOWING GAS SITUATION. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT AN ABANDONED SIX INCH STEEL, COAL TAR COATING PIPELINE WAS LOCATED. AN EXISTING 12 INCH STEEL FBE COATED HIGH PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION LINE WAS NOT LOCATED. REVIEW OF THE BORE PROFILE DETERMINED THE 12 INCH MAIN THAT WAS INSTALLED IN 2018 WAS APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET AT THE POINT OF DAMAGE. NSPM ATTEMPTED TO EXCAVATE THE MAIN AT THE POINT OF DAMAGED AND LATER DETERMINED DUE TO DEPTH, IT WAS SAFER TO NOT EXPOSE THE MAIN AT THE POINT OF DAMAGE AND INSTALL APPROXIMATELY 1100 FEET OF NEW 12 INCH STEEL. ESTIMATED GAS LOSS WAS CALCULATED FROM SCADA DATA AT THE TIME OF THE DAMAGE. POINT OF DAMAGE WAS NOT EXPOSED SO SIZE OF PUNCTURE IS NOT KNOWN FOR PART D: QUESTION 2.D REVIEW OF EXISTING DAMAGE PREVENTION PROCESSES WAS CONDUCTED AND FOUND THAT THE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING THE SIZE AND TYPE OF PIPE THAT WAS EXPOSED DID NOT FOLLOW THOSE PROCESSES.

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.

Back to All Incidents More Incidents in MN