GREAT PLAINS NATURAL GAS CO
gas_distribution Incident — FERGUS FALLS, MN — March 13, 2015
Incident Information
| Incident Date | March 13, 2015 |
| Operator | GREAT PLAINS NATURAL GAS CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | FERGUS FALLS |
| State | MN |
| County | OTTER TAIL |
| Coordinates | 46.26445, -96.05534 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | THREADED CONNECTION FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $1,500 |
| Emergency Response | $2,500 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"THIS SERVICE LINE HAD BEEN INSTALLED SINCE 1971. NO INDICATIONS OF A LEAK WERE FOUND IN THE PRIOR TWO LEAK SURVEYS, CONDUCTED IN 2008 & 2012 RESPECTIVELY. DAY TIME HIGH TEMPERATURES THE WEEK OF THE 13TH OF MARCH, 2015 WERE ABNORMALLY WARM (ALMOST 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL). THUS, IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT THE GROUND WAS BEGINNING TO THAW. THE LEAK INVESTIGATION INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK AT THE RISER. AFTER EXCAVATING THE, 3/4"" CONTINENTAL ,RISER AND COMPLETING FURTHER TESTING A LEAK WAS FOUND AT THE NUT FOLLOWER/COMPRESSION CONNECTION BETWEEN THE RISER AND THE PVC SERVICE LINE. AN INSIDE LEAK ON NON-JURISDICTIONAL PIPING WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED DURING THE LEAK INVESTIGATION. IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY OTHER IDENTIFIABLE SOURCE, THE RISER LEAK MAY BE THE SOURCE OF FUEL FOR THE EXPLOSION THAT OCCURRED, HOWEVER A MIGRATION PATH FOR THE GAS TO ENTER THE PREMISE WAS NOT IDENTIFIED."
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.