PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF COLORADO
gas_distribution Incident — SALIDA, CO — April 10, 2018
Incident Information
| Incident Date | April 10, 2018 |
| Operator | PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF COLORADO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | SALIDA |
| State | CO |
| County | CHAFFEE |
| Coordinates | 38.52153, -106.10621 |
Cause
| Cause | "PIPE, WELD, OR JOINT FAILURE" |
| Subcause | BODY OF PIPE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $9,774 |
| Emergency Response | $15,068 |
| Other Costs | $300,000 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"ON 4/10/18 DURING THE ANNUAL VALVE INSPECTION OF HFV-40247 THE OPERATOR FOUND NATURAL GAS READINGS IN THE VALVE BOX. DURING REPAIR EFFORTS THE THREADED SERVICE PIPE FAILED AT THE INLET TO THE VALVE. BASED ON METALLURGICAL AND FAILURE ANALYSIS BY THIRD PARTY LABORATORY, THE FAILURE SURFACE EXHIBITS SIGNS CONSISTENT WITH A BRITTLE FRACTURE. DYNAMIC LOADING IS SUSPECTED AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE, BUT IS NOT CONCLUSIVE. HOWEVER, BASED ON PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION THE FAILURE IS NOT BELIEVED TO BE A RESULT OF DIRECT CONTACT WITH EXCAVATION EQUIPMENT. INSTALLATION STRESS MAY BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, AS THE CONNECTION FAILED WHEN SOIL WAS REMOVED FROM AROUND THE VALVE AND SERVICE LINE AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SUDDEN MOVEMENT."
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.