ANR PIPELINE CO — Gas transmission and gathering — incident on 2003-05-04

Gas transmission and gathering incident in CHESTERTON, PORTER County, IN. Reported cause: 3. Reported consequences: 0 fatalities, 0 injuries, $64,050 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: 20030052.

Operator ID: 405.

Reported incident date: 5/4/2003.

Cause detail: EARTH MOVEMENT

Cause detail: DURING CONSTRUCTION,A TEMPORARY HEADER ASSEMBLY WAS ATTACHED TO THE 1-100 30" MAINLINE NEAR MILEPOST 881, IN INDIANA. ATTACHED TO THE HEADER ASSEMBLY WAS A 1/2" NIPPLE AND VALVE ASSEMBLY, WHICH WAS CONNECTED TO A 6" VERTICAL RISER PIECE AND VALVE. AFTER EXCAVATION AND INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE SHORING/TRENCH BOX SETTLED OR SANK, CAUSING A STRUCTURAL MEMEBER (CROSS SUPPORT BEAM) TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE 1/2" VALVE AND NIPPLE ASSEMBLY. THE WEIGHT OF THE TRENCH BOX RESTING ON THE 1/2" VALVE AND NIPPLE ASSEMBLY CAUSED THE NIPPLE TO BE DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE ONLY WAY TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED NIPPLE WAS TO BLOW DOWN A SECTION OF PIPELINE. THEREFORE, THE COST OF GAS LOST MET THE REQUIREMENT PRESCRIBED IN 49CFR 191, WHICH NECESITATED THE REPORTING OF THIS EVENT.

PHMSA trend classification: not significant, not serious.

PHMSA standardized cause: NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE — EARTH MOVEMENT.

PHMSA indexed costs: $64,050 reported total cost, $43,245.542 in 1984 dollars, $53,138.308 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.