# TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE COMPANY — Gas transmission and gathering — incident on 2016-04-27 **Citation:** PHMSA Report 20160037 **Type / status:** incident / historical **Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration **Effective:** 2016-04-27 **Published:** 2016-05-10 Gas transmission and gathering incident in MELVILLE, SAINT LANDRY County, LA. Reported cause: OTHER INCIDENT CAUSE. Reported consequences: 0 fatalities, 0 injuries, 17.6 NATURAL GAS released, $808,220 reported property damage. Operator-reported incident data submitted to PHMSA, generally within 30 days. Records may be supplemented or corrected and do not represent final agency causal findings. PHMSA trend classification: significant incident, not serious. ## Document text Gas transmission and gathering incident in MELVILLE, SAINT LANDRY County, LA. Reported cause: OTHER INCIDENT CAUSE. Reported consequences: 0 fatalities, 0 injuries, 17.6 NATURAL GAS released, $808,220 reported property damage. Operator-reported incident data submitted to PHMSA, generally within 30 days. Records may be supplemented or corrected and do not represent final agency causal findings. Report number: 20160037. Operator ID: 19570. Reported incident date: 4/27/2016 9:15. Location detail: 1.70 Cause detail: UNKNOWN Cause detail: 4-27-16 OPERATIONS SET OUT TO PERFORM ANNUAL R.O.W. PATROL. 9:15 AM COORDINATOR OF MAINTENANCE RECEIVED A CALL FROM OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN STATING THAT BUBBLES WERE OBSERVED IN A CREEK NEAR THE PIPELINE CROSSING. COM INSTRUCTED OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN TO VERIFY THE ATMOSPHERE UTILIZING A GAS DETECTOR 10:00 AM DISTRICT MANAGEMENT NOTIFIED PIPELINE CONTROL AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF POSSIBLE LEAK AND WAITING VERIFICATION. 11:11 AM CREW PERFORMED TAILGATE WITH JSA AND REVIEWED SHUT-IN PROCEDURE WITH DRAWINGS AND EPPM. 11:50 AM CREW CLOSED LC-8 12:00 PM CREW CLOSED LC-120 12:37 PM CONFIRMED INDEED WE HAVE A LEAK AND DOT REPORTABLE INCIDENT AS COST WILL EXCEED $50,000 TO REPAIR CREEK CROSSING. AT THIS TIME IT WAS AGREED TO COMPLETE THE PIPELINE PATROL AND VERIFY THERE WERE NOT ANY OTHER POTENTIAL LEAKS 3:15 PM CREW INSTALLED ABSORBENT BOOMS TO CATCH ANY POTENTIAL LIQUIDS. OPERATIONS TECHNICIANS COMPLETED PATROL AND NO OTHER POTENTIAL LEAKS FOUND 5:15 PM OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN WAS ON SITE OF LEAK TO VERIFY STATUS OF BUBBLES ONCE BLOW DOWN BEGINS 5:15 PM SECOND OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN IS AT BLOW DOWN VALVE AND BEGAN BLOWING DOWN LATERAL 7:15 PM PRESSURE IS DOWN TO 100 PSI AND BUBBLES ARE REDUCED TO HALF. 7:50 PM PRESSURE IS AT 0 PSI AND BUBBLES HAVE COMPLETELY STOPPED. 8:00 PM GAS CONTROL WAS NOTIFIED THAT LATERAL HAS BEEN BLOWN DOWN AND BUBBLES COMPLETELY STOPPED INVESTIGATION PENDING TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF LEAK. REPAIR PLAN IS ALSO BEING DISCUSSED AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT UPDATE 6/14/2017 AS OF THIS DATE THE SITE REMAINS SECURE AND THE PIPELINE SECTION REMAINS ISOLATED. WILLIAMS LOCAL OPERATIONS CONTINUES TO PATROL THE AREA. THE DIVISION ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A NUMBER OF OPTIONS TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION: 1. WORKING TOWARDS ESTIMATES TO INVESTIGATE AND REPAIR THE LEAKING SECTION OF PIPE. 2. THEY ARE COORDINATING WITH THE SINGLE SMALL PRODUCER ON POSSIBLY RETIRING THIS SECTION OF PIPE. 3. THERE IS ALSO A POTENTIAL FOR THE PIPELINE TO BE SOLD TO THE PRODUCER LATER THIS YEAR, AT THAT POINT THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. UPDATE 8/31/2018 AS OF THIS DATE THE SITE REMAINS ISOLATED AND BLOWN DOWN. THERE ARE NO PLANS OF BRINGING THIS LINE BACK INTO SERVICE. IF WILLIAMS DECIDES TO BRING IT BACK INTO SERVICE AT A FUTURE DATE IT WILL BE REPAIRED AND TESTED BEFORE BROUGHT BACK INTO SERVICE. UPDATE 09/05/2018 SHELL ELBA WAS DEACTIVATED, DEPRESSURIZED AND TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE ON THE DATE OF LEAK DISCOVERY. CATHODIC PROTECTION HAS BEEN MAINTAINED TO DATE AND THE LINE HAS REMAINED WITH 0 PRESSURE SINCE BEING DEPRESSURIZED. PHMSA trend classification: significant incident, not serious. PHMSA standardized cause: ALL OTHER CAUSES — UNKNOWN. PHMSA indexed costs: $808,768 reported total cost, $402,708.402 in 1984 dollars, $991,026.384 in current-year dollars. PHMSA trend flags, standardized causes, and indexed costs are analytical fields added to operator-reported incident data. They do not represent final agency causal findings. ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `phmsa-pipeline-incidents` - SHA-256: `6c549205889a9e4bfefb4d6cfaade76ba76dcec4d0645c124d902c8c52f3f740` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T03:30:32.010Z - Exported: 2026-08-25T22:16:46.620Z - Document slug: `phmsa-incident-a0945fb516ae984ccb0609e9` ### Source metadata ```json { "recordKind": "pipeline_incident", "datasetType": "gas_transmission_gathering", "datasetLabel": "Gas transmission and gathering", "datasetPeriod": "January 2010 to present", "report": { "number": "20160037", "supplementalNumber": "30900", "type": "SUPPLEMENTAL FINAL", "receivedDate": "2016-05-10", "receivedDateRaw": "5/10/2016" }, "operator": { "id": "19570", "name": "TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE COMPANY" }, "incident": { "date": "2016-04-27", "dateRaw": "4/27/2016 9:15" }, "location": { "city": "MELVILLE", "county": "SAINT LANDRY", "state": "LA", "postalCode": "71353", "latitude": 30.723144, "longitude": -91.793253, "type": "PIPELINE RIGHT-OF-WAY", "details": { "DESIGNATED_NAME": "1.70" }, "facilityName": "TRANSCO" }, "cause": { "category": "OTHER INCIDENT CAUSE", "details": { "CAUSE_DETAILS": "UNKNOWN", "NARRATIVE": "4-27-16 OPERATIONS SET OUT TO PERFORM ANNUAL R.O.W. PATROL. 9:15 AM COORDINATOR OF MAINTENANCE RECEIVED A CALL FROM OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN STATING THAT BUBBLES WERE OBSERVED IN A CREEK NEAR THE PIPELINE CROSSING. COM INSTRUCTED OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN TO VERIFY THE ATMOSPHERE UTILIZING A GAS DETECTOR 10:00 AM DISTRICT MANAGEMENT NOTIFIED PIPELINE CONTROL AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF POSSIBLE LEAK AND WAITING VERIFICATION. 11:11 AM CREW PERFORMED TAILGATE WITH JSA AND REVIEWED SHUT-IN PROCEDURE WITH DRAWINGS AND EPPM. 11:50 AM CREW CLOSED LC-8 12:00 PM CREW CLOSED LC-120 12:37 PM CONFIRMED INDEED WE HAVE A LEAK AND DOT REPORTABLE INCIDENT AS COST WILL EXCEED $50,000 TO REPAIR CREEK CROSSING. AT THIS TIME IT WAS AGREED TO COMPLETE THE PIPELINE PATROL AND VERIFY THERE WERE NOT ANY OTHER POTENTIAL LEAKS 3:15 PM CREW INSTALLED ABSORBENT BOOMS TO CATCH ANY POTENTIAL LIQUIDS. OPERATIONS TECHNICIANS COMPLETED PATROL AND NO OTHER POTENTIAL LEAKS FOUND 5:15 PM OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN WAS ON SITE OF LEAK TO VERIFY STATUS OF BUBBLES ONCE BLOW DOWN BEGINS 5:15 PM SECOND OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN IS AT BLOW DOWN VALVE AND BEGAN BLOWING DOWN LATERAL 7:15 PM PRESSURE IS DOWN TO 100 PSI AND BUBBLES ARE REDUCED TO HALF. 7:50 PM PRESSURE IS AT 0 PSI AND BUBBLES HAVE COMPLETELY STOPPED. 8:00 PM GAS CONTROL WAS NOTIFIED THAT LATERAL HAS BEEN BLOWN DOWN AND BUBBLES COMPLETELY STOPPED INVESTIGATION PENDING TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF LEAK. REPAIR PLAN IS ALSO BEING DISCUSSED AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT UPDATE 6/14/2017 AS OF THIS DATE THE SITE REMAINS SECURE AND THE PIPELINE SECTION REMAINS ISOLATED. WILLIAMS LOCAL OPERATIONS CONTINUES TO PATROL THE AREA. THE DIVISION ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A NUMBER OF OPTIONS TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION: 1. WORKING TOWARDS ESTIMATES TO INVESTIGATE AND REPAIR THE LEAKING SECTION OF PIPE. 2. THEY ARE COORDINATING WITH THE SINGLE SMALL PRODUCER ON POSSIBLY RETIRING THIS SECTION OF PIPE. 3. THERE IS ALSO A POTENTIAL FOR THE PIPELINE TO BE SOLD TO THE PRODUCER LATER THIS YEAR, AT THAT POINT THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. UPDATE 8/31/2018 AS OF THIS DATE THE SITE REMAINS ISOLATED AND BLOWN DOWN. THERE ARE NO PLANS OF BRINGING THIS LINE BACK INTO SERVICE. IF WILLIAMS DECIDES TO BRING IT BACK INTO SERVICE AT A FUTURE DATE IT WILL BE REPAIRED AND TESTED BEFORE BROUGHT BACK INTO SERVICE. UPDATE 09/05/2018 SHELL ELBA WAS DEACTIVATED, DEPRESSURIZED AND TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE ON THE DATE OF LEAK DISCOVERY. CATHODIC PROTECTION HAS BEEN MAINTAINED TO DATE AND THE LINE HAS REMAINED WITH 0 PRESSURE SINCE BEING DEPRESSURIZED." } }, "consequences": { "fatalities": 0, "injuries": 0, "commodity": "NATURAL GAS", "release": "17.6", "propertyDamage": 808220, "estimatedOperatorCost": 0, "estimatedEmergencyCost": 0, "estimatedEnvironmentalCost": null, "ignition": "NO", "explosion": "NO", "evacuated": 0, "raw": { "FATAL": "0", "INJURE": "0", "UNINTENTIONAL_RELEASE": "17.6", "EST_COST_PROP_DAMAGE": "808220", "PRPTY": "808768" } }, "provenance": { "viewId": "27nc-rsge", "viewUrl": "https://data.transportation.gov/api/views/27nc-rsge", "assetId": "2b05c2d8-d14a-4c56-ac1c-7d23a4bc31c8", "archiveFilename": "Gas Transmission & Gathering Incident Data - January 2010 to present.zip", "archiveSha256": "fe0b136ca4b00ac987a8bc2e195098accf910d97512c5fc3b59e62d9da5f674e", "memberPath": "incident_gas_transmission_gathering_jan2010_present.txt", "memberSha256": "b435f2a25718cf54c54e00294e6788c4f9c6860e02fb86355e75d294c243c4dd", "rowNumber": 1204, "rowSha256": "bb442798679a4eefeee5feb284127fa252ee83609c5a659527710c5699efe33a" }, "caveat": "Operator-reported incident data submitted to PHMSA, generally within 30 days. Records may be supplemented or corrected and do not represent final agency causal findings.", "operatorReported": true, "finalAgencyFinding": false, "flaggedAnalysis": { "dataAsOf": "2026-07-31", "flags": { "fireFirst": null, "significant": true, "serious": false }, "standardizedCause": { "sevenCategory": "ALL OTHER CAUSES", "sevenSubcategory": "UNKNOWN", "eightCategory": "ALL OTHER CAUSES", "eightSubcategory": "UNKNOWN" }, "costs": { "reported": 808768, "in1984Dollars": 402708.40195793385, "currentYearDollars": 991026.384361586 }, "caveat": "PHMSA trend flags, standardized causes, and indexed costs are analytical fields added to operator-reported incident data. They do not represent final agency causal findings.", "provenance": { "sourceUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/data_statistics/pipeline/PHMSA_Pipeline_Safety_Flagged_Incidents.zip", "landingPageUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/data-and-statistics/pipeline/pipeline-incident-flagged-files", "catalogUrl": "https://data.transportation.gov/Pipelines-and-Hazmat/Pipeline-Incident-Flagged-Files/qdme-9bbm", "retrievalMode": "official_live", "archivedAt": null, "archiveSha256": "317e6a3e16d60b9b677efe391dc40258b5dd7ead83fb8bea74cb553cedfbbdec", "workbook": "gtggungs2010toPresent.xlsx", "sheet": "gtggungs2010toPresent", "rowNumber": 788, "rowSha256": "455f69a4dd40a4815851e13d9724d8e1e1c5512306d6c84ef88d7ea60b7ecc73" } }, "jurisdiction": "US", "operatorName": "TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE COMPANY" } ```