ZIA NATURAL GAS CO

Incident Narrative

ZIA NATURAL GAS COMPANY FORM 7100.1 INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: AT 9:09AM ON DECEMBER 19, 2017, ZIA NATURAL GAS COMPANY ('ZIA') RECEIVED AN EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION PHONE CALL FROM PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NEW MEXICO ('PNM') THAT THERE WAS BLOWING GAS FROM A HIT LINE AT 641 SUDDERTH DR, RUIDOSO, LINCOLN COUNTY, NM. PNM IS THE LOCAL ELECTRIC COMPANY AND WAS THE EXCAVATOR ON SITE. ZIA PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 9:16AM AND ASSESSED THE SITUATION. A 16' CORE BARREL AUGER UTILIZED TO DRILL A HOLE FOR A POWER POLE HAD STRUCK A 2' PE DISTRIBUTION GAS MAIN APPROXIMATELY 53' DEEP. AT THE TIME OF THE HIT, PNM HAD IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE AUGER EQUIPMENT AND LEFT IT IN PLACE. THE GAS MAIN HAD A TWO-WAY SUPPLY AT THE LOCATION OF THE DAMAGE. ZIA PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT THE BUILDING AT 641 SUDDERTH DR. WAS VACANT. ZIA PERSONNEL EXCAVATED THE MAIN ON EACH SIDE OF THE DAMAGE TO SQUEEZE OFF THE LINE AND SHUT OFF THE FLOW OF GAS. BETWEEN 9:45AM AND 9:55AM, ZIA PERSONNEL WERE ABLE TO EXCAVATE THE MAIN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE DAMAGE AND INSTALL SQUEEZE OFF EQUIPMENT. AT APPROXIMATELY 9:55AM, ZIA PERSONNEL REQUESTED A MECHANICAL EXCAVATOR TO ASSIST WITH EXCAVATING THE MAIN ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE DAMAGE DUE TO MULTIPLE LAYER OF ASPHALT AND GRAVEL. AT APPROXIMATELY 10:41AM, ZIA PERSONNEL REQUESTED TRAFFIC CONTROL ASSISTANCE FROM LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WHICH ARRIVED AT 10:45AM. AT APPROXIMATELY 11:05AM, AN EXPLOSION AT 641 SUDDERTH DR OCCURRED. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION, THE AREA WAS EVACUATED. AT APPROXIMATELY 11:20AM, THE MAIN WAS MECHANICALLY SQUEEZED SHUT AND THE FLOW OF GAS WAS STOPPED. POST-INCIDENT, ZIA PERSONNEL PERFORMED A LEAK SURVEY OF THE AREA AND CHECKED SYSTEM PRESSURE TO VERIFY NO ADDITIONAL ABNORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. THE DAMAGE TO THE GAS MAIN WAS REPAIRED ON DECEMBER 28, 2017 AND FLOW WAS RE-ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE MAIN. AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EXCAVATION DAMAGE REVEALED THAT THE MOST RECENT LINE LOCATE TICKET, 17NV270924, HAD EXPIRED ON DECEMBER 13, 2017. THE MARKS WERE STILL VISIBLE ON THE GROUND AND WERE ACCURATE. PNM HAD EXPOSED AN ABANDONED STEEL LINE WITH YELLOW COATING APPROXIMATELY 12' AWAY FROM THE ACTIVE 2' PE GAS LINE. ZIA DETERMINED THAT PNM VIOLATED NMAC 18.60.5.15 (B)(2), FAILURE TO MAINTAIN 18' CLEARANCE WITH MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT FROM MARKED FACILITIES, AND NMAC 18.60.5.10, EXCAVATOR SHALL MAKE A LOCATE REQUEST PRIOR TO EXCAVATION.