This is big news.  Anyone living close to a natural gas pipeline really ought to read this article.

The short story is that Tetco found corrosion on its pipeline back in 2012.  They didn’t just find a little bit, either.  Fully 1/3 of the thickness of the pipe had corroded away.  That didn’t set off alarm bells, though.  Why?  Because the industry standard was to expect 1-3% of the thickness of the pipeline to wear away each year.  Since the pipeline was scheduled for another inspection in 2019, they figured they would just check up on it then.

The corrosion actually occurred at a rate of 10-15% per year.

The pipeline exploded.

The company is going to be paying out the wazoo for damage to property and to the poor guy who got burns over most of his body while running away from the fireball.

The moral of the story is this: when the pipeline representative tells you that the pipeline has regularly scheduled inspections and that they know how to keep it safe, they aren’t right.

The rep isn’t lying.  The rep believes what his/her employer is telling them.  The pipeline actually believes it is doing what it should (in most situations).  They’re just not right.  They simply can’t account for any and all contingencies.

Pipeline companies really need to step up the inspection schedules and come up with some better technology to protect the people that live next to their pipelines.  We mentioned in a previous post that less than 20% of all pipeline problems are discovered by the technology employed for that purpose.  Well over 50% are discovered by landowners and pipeline employees visually inspecting the pipeline right of way.  That’s just not acceptable, at least not when the company is telling people that their technology will keep them safe.

The pipeline that blew up in Westmoreland county, PA back at the end of April is going to be partially dug up and fully inspected along a 263 mile stretch, shown above.  Thanks to Great Southern Press for putting the map together.

The article by Anya Litvak over at PowerSource goes into some detail about pipeline coatings and what probably went wrong on the Westmoreland County, PA pipeline.  It’s an excellent article and well worth the read.

If you don’t have the five or ten minutes it will take to read it, just make sure that if you have a Texas Eastern pipeline across your property that was built in the 1970s or 1980s that you have Spectra Energy come out and inspect you section of the pipeline.

RBN Energy wrote a nice little article about how the companies determine the size of the pipe they are going to need to put in your ground.  You might not think you care anything about the thought process of the company, but in reality the more you know the more likely you are to make good decisions when negotiating with them.  Knowledge is power.  Don’t let them have all the power.

Here’s the article.

The pipeline that blew up in Westmoreland County about two weeks ago had been upgraded in November of 2014, adding compression that made the gas flow faster.  It had previously been operating at 700,000 MCF per day, and bumped up to 1.3 million MCF per day.  It’s possible (though not yet proven) that the higher flow rate could have contributed to the corrosion that appears to have caused the failure of the pipe.

We’re fans of adding pipelines in West Virginia, as our clients (mineral and royalty owners) will benefit from the better gas prices that will result.  However, it’s important to point out that there are dangers and risks that come with these pipelines.  You have to go into this kind of thing with both eyes open, doing research and getting advice from competent professionals.

If you have a company approach you about a pipeline easement, take the time to read the agreement carefully, ask questions, and make absolutely sure to get some advice from people who know what they’re doing.  We have the education and experience to help you out.  Give us a call at 304-473-1403.

Photo from Marcellus Drilling News.

A burned out house is surrounded by charred ground and trees following a natural gas explosion at a pipeline complex on Friday, April 29, 2016, in Salem Township, Pa. The explosion caused flames to shoot above nearby treetops in the largely rural area, about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh, and prompted authorities to evacuate businesses nearby. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran an excellent article about the Texas Eastern pipeline that blew up one week ago today.  It says that corrosion has been found on two welds near the explosion.  It also says that while corrosion has been found, that isn’t necessarily the reason for the explosion, and that the investigation (which could take years) could determine that there was some other cause for the explosion.

It also goes into some detail about “incidents” on the Texas Eastern pipeline.  Over the 30 year life of the pipeline there have been 62 incidents, ranging from the discovery of leaks to barges and airplanes hitting the pipeline.  Accidents happen, eh?

It’s very interesting that there are two “incidents” per year on the pipeline.  That just underlines the importance of going into a pipeline negotiation with your eyes wide open.  Understand that while the money can be good, there is some risk involved.  The likelihood of an “incident” that will affect you, your loved ones, or your property is low, but if an “incident” happens it’s likely to be life altering.