"CENTERPOINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORP., DBA CENTERPOINT ENERGY MINNESOTA GAS"
gas_distribution Incident — PAYNESVILLE, MN — November 19, 2019
Incident Information
| Incident Date | November 19, 2019 |
| Operator | "CENTERPOINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORP., DBA CENTERPOINT ENERGY MINNESOTA GAS" |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | PAYNESVILLE |
| State | MN |
| County | STERNS |
| Coordinates | 45.38352, -94.71328 |
Cause
| Cause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE |
| Subcause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE BY THIRD PARTY |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $198,735 |
| Emergency Response | $915 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"ON NOVEMBER 19, 2019 AT 13:23, A THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR INSTALLING SEWER AND WATER DAMAGED CENTERPOINT ENERGY'S 6"" STEEL DISTRIBUTION MAIN WITH THEIR EXCAVATION EQUIPMENT. THE LINE HIT WAS ONE-WAY FEEDING THE ENTIRE TOWN OF PAYNESVILLE. DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF RAILROAD TRACKS AND THE LOCATION OF THE DAMAGE, A BY-PASS WAS NOT A FEASIBLE OPTION AND THE ENTIRE SYSTEM WAS SHUT OFF AT THE TOWN-BORDER-STATION (TBS) IN PAYNESVILLE. SHUTTING DOWN THE SYSTEM FROM THE TBS STATION RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF GAS TO 1400 CUSTOMERS FOR APPROXIMATELY 13 HOURS AND 22 MINUTES. AFTER AN INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THE STEEL MAIN WAS MARKED CORRECTLY AND THE CONTRACTOR FAILED TO SPOT THE FACILITY BEFORE EXCAVATION CAUSING DAMAGE. GAS SERVICE WAS RESTORED AT ROUGHLY 02:45 ON NOVEMBER 20, 2019. 48 HOUR NRC 1264370"
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.