Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
GD incident on 2015-02-24 — NJ
Operator
New Jersey Natural Gas Co
Cause
Pipe, Weld, Or Joint Failure
Commodity
Natural Gas
Program
GD
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
2 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$0
Incident datetime
2015-02-24 10:32
Report number
Location
NJ, OCEAN
Narrative
On tuesday, february 24, 2015, a datalogger (pressure gauge) used for flow studies indicated a sudden low pressure at 8:42 a.M. On cypress lane in stafford. At 9:05 a.M. New jersey natural gas ("njng") received the first of several "no gas" calls. The company sent a crew to the area. Before they reached cypress lane, the crew was flagged down by a police officer at the intersection of oak avenue and route 9, who informed them that there was a gas odor on oak avenue. Thereafter, at 9:15 a.M. A first responder was dispatched to oak avenue and arrived at about 9:24 a.M. A strong gas odor was identified near 59 oak avenue. It was confirmed that no one was in the building. Police and fire personnel were already on site and had evacuated neighboring homes. Soon thereafter, three additional crews arrived at 59 oak avenue. A leak in the street was located and the crews began jackhammering the pavement. At 10:32 a.M., an explosion occurred inside 59 oak avenue. Prior to the incident approximately five individuals were evacuated by fire and police. A request for emergency assistance was made immediately. Seven njng employees were taken to the hospital. Five were treated and released and two were admitted. The area was made safe at 11:30 a.M. By shutting a valve to the street, which affected about 335 customers. At 14:30 (2:30 p.M.), njng received permission to re-enter the area and remove debris. The street was opened in the location where the leak was found and a two-inch (2") coated steel main was found to be broken at the weld joint. The break was 360� around the pipe and the pipe ends were separated. Approximately two feet of pipe on each side of the break was removed for metallurgical evaluation. Njng believes that there were three primary contributing causes for the failure: (I) a poor quality weld, lacking adequate penetration; (ii) environmentally assisted cracking of the weld (e.G., corrosion); and (iii) external stress on the gas main, possibly from post-installation impact, differential soil settlement below the pipe, soil displacement from adjacent construction, etc. With reference to question number 2 in part d above, please be advised that njng has received numerous property damage claims, including the owner of 59 oak avenue, in the amount of $199,000 and seven neighboring properties, totaling approximately $75,000. The company has received notice of other claims from other insurance carriers but these carriers have not indicated a loss amount. The amount of money that the company ultimately pays on these claims will depend on a finding of liability against the company as well as whether the amount of the damages claimed can be proven by the claimant and verified by the company. A new plastic main was installed and pressurized on february 25, 2015 at approximately 4:30 a.M. Service was restored to all customers on february 25, 2015 by 18:30 (6:30 p.M.). Subsequently the entire 2" steel main and the 2"hdpe main has been replaced with 4" hdpe pipe. This installation was completed october 27, 2015
Detailed record list
Occurred At
2015-02-24 10:32:00
Year
2015
Report Received Date
2015-03-25 00:00:00
Iyear
2015.0
Report Number
20150030.0
Supplemental Number
16252.0
Report Type
Supplemental Final
Operator Id
13299
Name
New Jersey Natural Gas Co
Operator Street Address
1415 Wyckoff Road
Operator City Name
Wall
Operator State Abbreviation
NJ
Operator Postal Code
07719
Local Datetime
2015-02-24 10:32:00
Location Street Address
59 Oak Av
Location City Name
Stafford Township
Location County Name
Ocean
Location State Abbreviation
NJ
Location Postal Code
08092
Location Latitude
39.685893
Location Longitude
-74.269918
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2015-02-24 12:29:00
Nrc Rpt Num
1108949
Commodity Released Type
Natural Gas
Unintentional Release
456.0
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
Yes
Num Emp Injuries
2
Num Contr Injuries
0
Num Er Injuries
0
Num Worker Injuries
0
Num Gp Injuries
0
Injure
2
Ignite Ind
Yes
Explode Ind
Yes
Num Pub Evacuated
0.0
Incident Identified Datetime
2015-02-24 10:32:00
On Site Datetime
2015-02-24 09:24:00
Federal
No
Location Type
Public Property
Incident Area Type
Underground
Incident Area Subtype
Under Pavement
Depth Of Cover
34.0
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Investor Owned
System Part Involved
Main
Installation Year
1981.0
Pipe Diameter
2.0
Pipe Specification
Api-5l-A25
Pipe Manufacturer
Unknown
Material Involved
Steel
Steel Seam Type
Other
Steel Seam Type Details
Electric Welded
Wt Steel
0.154
Release Type
Rupture
Rupture Orient
Circumferential
Rupture Length
7.5
Rupture Width
0.5
Class Location Type
Class 3 Location
Est Cost Oper Paid
274000.0
Est Cost Prop Damage
0.0
Est Cost Emergency
62050.0
Est Cost Other
131921.0
Est Cost Other Details
Final Road Restoration, Likely To Exceed $50,000.
Est Cost Unintentional Release
8340.0
Prpty
476311.0
Commercial Affected
1.0
Industrial Affected
0.0
Residences Affected
334.0
Accident Psig
57.0
Normal Psig
57.0
Mop Psig
60.0
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop
Scada In Place Ind
No
Accident Identifier
Notification From Emergency Responder
Investigation Status
No, the operator did not find that an investigation of the controller(s) actions or control room issues was necessary due to: (provide an explanation for why the operator did not investigate)
Investigation Status Details
Control room did not contribute to the incident.
Employee Drug Test Ind
Yes
Num Employees Tested
7
Num Employees Failed
0
Contractor Drug Test Ind
No
Cause
Pipe, Weld, Or Joint Failure
Cause Details
Butt Weld
Pwjf Failure Type
Butt Weld
Butt Weld Subtype
Other
Butt Weld Details
Inadequate Weld Penetration Of The Butt Weld Joint
Additional Dent Ind
Yes
Additional Pipe Bend Ind
Yes
Additional Crack Ind
Yes
Result Construction Ind
Yes
Result Construction Subtype
Poor Workmanship
Hydrotest Conducted Ind
No
Preparer Name
M***** K***
Preparer Title
Director - System Enhancement
Preparer Email
M*****@n***.com
Preparer Telephone
732-919-8035
Preparer Fax
732-919-0936
Authorizer Name
M***** K***
Authorizer Title
Director - System Enhancement
Authorizer Telephone
732-919-8035
Authorizer Email
M*****@n***.com
Narrative
On tuesday, february 24, 2015, a datalogger (pressure gauge) used for flow studies indicated a sudden low pressure at 8:42 a.M. On cypress lane in stafford. At 9:05 a.M. New jersey natural gas ("njng") received the first of several "no gas" calls. The company sent a crew to the area. Before they reached cypress lane, the crew was flagged down by a police officer at the intersection of oak avenue and route 9, who informed them that there was a gas odor on oak avenue. Thereafter, at 9:15 a.M. A first responder was dispatched to oak avenue and arrived at about 9:24 a.M. A strong gas odor was identified near 59 oak avenue. It was confirmed that no one was in the building. Police and fire personnel were already on site and had evacuated neighboring homes. Soon thereafter, three additional crews arrived at 59 oak avenue. A leak in the street was located and the crews began jackhammering the pavement. At 10:32 a.M., an explosion occurred inside 59 oak avenue. Prior to the incident approximately five individuals were evacuated by fire and police. A request for emergency assistance was made immediately. Seven njng employees were taken to the hospital. Five were treated and released and two were admitted. The area was made safe at 11:30 a.M. By shutting a valve to the street, which affected about 335 customers. At 14:30 (2:30 p.M.), njng received permission to re-enter the area and remove debris. The street was opened in the location where the leak was found and a two-inch (2") coated steel main was found to be broken at the weld joint. The break was 360� around the pipe and the pipe ends were separated. Approximately two feet of pipe on each side of the break was removed for metallurgical evaluation. Njng believes that there were three primary contributing causes for the failure: (I) a poor quality weld, lacking adequate penetration; (ii) environmentally assisted cracking of the weld (e.G., corrosion); and (iii) external stress on the gas main, possibly from post-installation impact, differential soil settlement below the pipe, soil displacement from adjacent construction, etc. With reference to question number 2 in part d above, please be advised that njng has received numerous property damage claims, including the owner of 59 oak avenue, in the amount of $199,000 and seven neighboring properties, totaling approximately $75,000. The company has received notice of other claims from other insurance carriers but these carriers have not indicated a loss amount. The amount of money that the company ultimately pays on these claims will depend on a finding of liability against the company as well as whether the amount of the damages claimed can be proven by the claimant and verified by the company. A new plastic main was installed and pressurized on february 25, 2015 at approximately 4:30 a.M. Service was restored to all customers on february 25, 2015 by 18:30 (6:30 p.M.). Subsequently the entire 2" steel main and the 2"hdpe main has been replaced with 4" hdpe pipe. This installation was completed october 27, 2015
| Occurred At | 2015-02-24 10:32:00 |
|---|---|
| Year | 2015 |
| Report Received Date | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 |
| Iyear | 2015.0 |
| Report Number | 20150030.0 |
| Supplemental Number | 16252.0 |
| Report Type | Supplemental Final |
| Operator Id | 13299 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | New Jersey Natural Gas Co |
| Operator Street Address | 1415 Wyckoff Road |
| Operator City Name | Wall |
| Operator State Abbreviation | NJ |
| Operator Postal Code | 07719 |
| Local Datetime | 2015-02-24 10:32:00 |
| Location Street Address | 59 Oak Av |
| Location City Name | Stafford Township |
| Location County Name | Ocean |
| Location State Abbreviation | NJ |
| Location Postal Code | 08092 |
| Location Latitude | 39.685893 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -74.269918 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2015-02-24 12:29:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1108949 NRC Report How to search |
| Commodity Released Type | Natural Gas |
| Unintentional Release | 456.0 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | Yes |
| Num Emp Injuries | 2 |
| Num Contr Injuries | 0 |
| Num Er Injuries | 0 |
| Num Worker Injuries | 0 |
| Num Gp Injuries | 0 |
| Injure | 2 |
| Ignite Ind | Yes |
| Explode Ind | Yes |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 0.0 |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2015-02-24 10:32:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2015-02-24 09:24:00 |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Public Property |
| Incident Area Type | Underground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Under Pavement |
| Depth Of Cover | 34.0 |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Investor Owned |
| System Part Involved | Main |
| Installation Year | 1981.0 |
| Pipe Diameter | 2.0 |
| Pipe Specification | Api-5l-A25 |
| Pipe Manufacturer | Unknown |
| Material Involved | Steel |
| Steel Seam Type | Other |
| Steel Seam Type Details | Electric Welded |
| Wt Steel | 0.154 |
| Release Type | Rupture |
| Rupture Orient | Circumferential |
| Rupture Length | 7.5 |
| Rupture Width | 0.5 |
| Class Location Type | Class 3 Location |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 274000.0 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 0.0 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 62050.0 |
| Est Cost Other | 131921.0 |
| Est Cost Other Details | Final Road Restoration, Likely To Exceed $50,000. |
| Est Cost Unintentional Release | 8340.0 |
| Prpty | 476311.0 |
| Commercial Affected | 1.0 |
| Industrial Affected | 0.0 |
| Residences Affected | 334.0 |
| Accident Psig | 57.0 |
| Normal Psig | 57.0 |
| Mop Psig | 60.0 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop |
| Scada In Place Ind | No |
| Accident Identifier | Notification From Emergency Responder |
| Investigation Status | No, the operator did not find that an investigation of the controller(s) actions or control room issues was necessary due to: (provide an explanation for why the operator did not investigate) |
| Investigation Status Details | Control room did not contribute to the incident. |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Num Employees Tested | 7 |
| Num Employees Failed | 0 |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | No |
| Cause | Pipe, Weld, Or Joint Failure |
| Cause Details | Butt Weld |
| Pwjf Failure Type | Butt Weld |
| Butt Weld Subtype | Other |
| Butt Weld Details | Inadequate Weld Penetration Of The Butt Weld Joint |
| Additional Dent Ind | Yes |
| Additional Pipe Bend Ind | Yes |
| Additional Crack Ind | Yes |
| Result Construction Ind | Yes |
| Result Construction Subtype | Poor Workmanship |
| Hydrotest Conducted Ind | No |
| Preparer Name | M***** K*** |
| Preparer Title | Director - System Enhancement |
| Preparer Email | M*****@n***.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 732-919-8035 |
| Preparer Fax | 732-919-0936 |
| Authorizer Name | M***** K*** |
| Authorizer Title | Director - System Enhancement |
| Authorizer Telephone | 732-919-8035 |
| Authorizer Email | M*****@n***.com |
| Narrative | On tuesday, february 24, 2015, a datalogger (pressure gauge) used for flow studies indicated a sudden low pressure at 8:42 a.M. On cypress lane in stafford. At 9:05 a.M. New jersey natural gas ("njng") received the first of several "no gas" calls. The company sent a crew to the area. Before they reached cypress lane, the crew was flagged down by a police officer at the intersection of oak avenue and route 9, who informed them that there was a gas odor on oak avenue. Thereafter, at 9:15 a.M. A first responder was dispatched to oak avenue and arrived at about 9:24 a.M. A strong gas odor was identified near 59 oak avenue. It was confirmed that no one was in the building. Police and fire personnel were already on site and had evacuated neighboring homes. Soon thereafter, three additional crews arrived at 59 oak avenue. A leak in the street was located and the crews began jackhammering the pavement. At 10:32 a.M., an explosion occurred inside 59 oak avenue. Prior to the incident approximately five individuals were evacuated by fire and police. A request for emergency assistance was made immediately. Seven njng employees were taken to the hospital. Five were treated and released and two were admitted. The area was made safe at 11:30 a.M. By shutting a valve to the street, which affected about 335 customers. At 14:30 (2:30 p.M.), njng received permission to re-enter the area and remove debris. The street was opened in the location where the leak was found and a two-inch (2") coated steel main was found to be broken at the weld joint. The break was 360� around the pipe and the pipe ends were separated. Approximately two feet of pipe on each side of the break was removed for metallurgical evaluation. Njng believes that there were three primary contributing causes for the failure: (I) a poor quality weld, lacking adequate penetration; (ii) environmentally assisted cracking of the weld (e.G., corrosion); and (iii) external stress on the gas main, possibly from post-installation impact, differential soil settlement below the pipe, soil displacement from adjacent construction, etc. With reference to question number 2 in part d above, please be advised that njng has received numerous property damage claims, including the owner of 59 oak avenue, in the amount of $199,000 and seven neighboring properties, totaling approximately $75,000. The company has received notice of other claims from other insurance carriers but these carriers have not indicated a loss amount. The amount of money that the company ultimately pays on these claims will depend on a finding of liability against the company as well as whether the amount of the damages claimed can be proven by the claimant and verified by the company. A new plastic main was installed and pressurized on february 25, 2015 at approximately 4:30 a.M. Service was restored to all customers on february 25, 2015 by 18:30 (6:30 p.M.). Subsequently the entire 2" steel main and the 2"hdpe main has been replaced with 4" hdpe pipe. This installation was completed october 27, 2015 |
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