W. VA Gas line explosion

[Dutch445]

I have seen these happen before in different parts of the country, almost sounds like it happens too much
if you ask me. These gas lines are everywhere! I have one about 1,500 feet from my home....although
I can't say it's of the caliber of these that have exploded..
if you watch this video from a news chopper after the fire was extinguished, you can get
a real feel for the scope of the explosion and crater as investigative personnel are walking
around the grounds,,

then, you will notice this truck and landscape trailer just sitting there,
makes ya wonder if something came off that trailer and somebody was doing
a little drilling or digging without calling 811 huh?

Gas Pipeline Explosion in WV - RAW Chopper Video - YouTube

 

[RobertBrown]

You would think that there is a backhoe scattered about.......somewhere.

 

[DT86]

Unbelievable, reminds me of a scene from a war movie or something.

 

[Ken]

Notice the large pipe and also a smaller pipe laying twisted. This must of been a location where the valve was and controls were placed to feed the smaller pipe. into a housing area. lower pressure.
I have seen this type of location used for target practice and also some have tried to steel the material for junk .
The main line was approximate 8' down and the smaller maybe 4 feet.
Of course the news and nay-sayers will all place the blame on the gas company
Now don't know exact location but the lines are checked for leaks and damage . and repaired.
just my opinion of the events.
ken

 

[SPIKER]

Ken:

Yep these pipes could have been down a long time, also noticed the 2 pipes & was thinking cross current/ galvanic rusting perhaps. That or maybe directional Drilling nearby would be a big mistake by someone. I agree the truck/trailer are suspiciously close to the apparent point of eruption. I also noticed the whitish (plastic) melting away from the Car some 200 feet away near the home that burned that melted and ran down hill from it.. Very good video of a bad happening (now let the green warriors unite to say we can have pipes in the ground..) :x


M

 

[texasjohn]

if not in the ground, where would you suggest they be placed?:confused3:

Ken:

(now let the green warriors unite to say we can have pipes in the ground..) :x


M

 

[TnWV]

This happened about 15 miles or so from my home. I drive that stretch of interstate everyday to and from work and will have to take a different route for a day or two. There are lots of these gas lines all over the state, and I have one that passes through my property, so ill be very interested to see what caused it as the investigation continues. This is only the second time i can remember a natural gas explosion in this area in my lifetime (31 years), and the last was at a gas well way up on a mountain. hopefully this was an isolated incident and we font start seeing more of these situations. From what I've heard so far, several families lost there homes, but thankfully no one was severely injured or killed. Sure was some huge flames.

 

[texasjohn]

It gets personal when it gets close. I'm speculating it was corrosion that was not detected in time, even though inspections happen, stuff happens. Profits are big, let the lawyers and insurance take care of the people who are unfortunately in the way when stuff happens.

In Texas, quite some years ago, there was a leak along a deserted stretch of road at night. Cars came over the hill and down into a valley. the night was very still. The gas pooled at ground level. The car ran down hill into the gas, no oxygen so car stopped running and coasted to a stop. People ran out of air quickly and suffocated. Trying to start car didn't ignite gas...oxygen mix wrong. Numerous cars encountered this trap, one at a time, from opposite directions, until one of them had a spark at the right point of proper oxygen mix...BOOM...big fire all over the valley..

There are ways to find out where the lines are...here are examples:
http://www.nationalfuelgas.com/supply/market/MapsAndTables/GatheringSystemMaps.aspx
http://www.nationalfuelgas.com/supply/market/MktgNews/Presentations/documents/ExpansionMap.pdf

 

[Dutch445]

TnWV this is the 2nd time in recent years that I've read of a line exploding like that. The last one I read about
also took a home with it, but was in a more remote area and not next to an interstate.
I can't remember exactly where that one was, maybe somebody else remembers it, it left the
same sort of crater in the ground with that reddish burnt soil in a huge area just like this
one did.

 

[Dutch445]

Actually the other one was in Virginia, Appomattox, 2008, I remember reading about it and seeing the same type of destruction:
Pipeline Blowout Photos And Natural Gas Explosion

 

[Ken]

Ken:

Yep these pipes could have been down a long time, also noticed the 2 pipes & was thinking cross current/ galvanic rusting perhaps. That or maybe directional Drilling nearby would be a big mistake by someone. I agree the truck/trailer are suspiciously close to the apparent point of eruption. I also noticed the whitish (plastic) melting away from the Car some 200 feet away near the home that burned that melted and ran down hill from it.. Very good video of a bad happening (now let the green warriors unite to say we can have pipes in the ground..) :x


M

The pipes are protected by a current system to over come the ground effect voltage. and should it fail it would be noticed quickly . Did see where the Southern Pac. Railroad in West N.Mex. had a coffee shop reader that filled out his report in a reaturant. and the rail road pipe was eaten up by the one the company I worked for . They replaced about 10 miles of pipe. He was out of a job.

Each weld of each section of pipe is recorded and the welder places his #Marker on the weld when putting in the weld is x-rayed and the recorded reading is kept.
The inspection of the pipe when built also is kept.
Sure things happen but that is why the right of way in so wide.
ken

 

[SPIKER]

Ken:

Yes they pass current from one end towards the other to kill stray currents that cause rust. The 2 pipes both of which passing current could have had some voltage potential difference in that area between them. in essence making that local spot rust worse was my earlier point.

mark

 

[buckeyefarmer]

There was a pipeline explosion not too far north of this one a few yrs ago, up in southern ohio just along I77. burned a hilltop of trees.