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Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby ROCKMAN » Tue 01 Nov 2016, 12:42:06

Outcast - Here's how we handle such situations in Texas:

The purpose of the One-Call Board of Texas (OCB) is to establish and operate a “one-call” excavation safety and underground facility damage prevention notification system designed to provide excavators with the capability of making only “one-call” prior to excavation, whereby all utility companies with underground lines in the area receive notice of the planned excavation.

The utility operator is then given the opportunity to physically locate and mark the approximate location of its underground lines to help the excavator avoid accidental damage. The excavator does not have to make multiple calls or attempt to determine what facilities may be present and identify unknown utility operators. All operators of underground facilities are classified as Class A Facility Operators and are required to register with the OCB and enroll their facilities with the Notification Center of their choice.

The Texas Notification System consists of two separate Notification Centers. Each Notification Center is responsible for receiving information about a planned excavation and sending that information to its member utility companies and the other Notification Centers.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby vox_mundi » Tue 01 Nov 2016, 13:38:07

Gasoline Pipeline Blast Could Raise Pump Prices in Southeast

A fatal explosion has shut down a pipeline supplying gasoline to millions of people across the Southeast — the second accident and shutdown in two months — raising the specter of another round of gas shortages and price increases.

It happened when a dirt-moving track hoe struck the pipeline, ignited gasoline and sparked a blast Monday, killing one worker and injuring five others, Colonial Pipeline said. Flames and thick black smoke continued to soar on Tuesday, and firefighters built an earthen berm to contain the burning fuel.

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Fuel shortages in the Southeast could be more severe this time if both of Colonial Pipeline's main lines remain shut down, as they were Tuesday, for several days, experts say. Together the two pipelines (diesel, jet fuel and gasoline) carry more than 2 million barrels of fuel a day.

"Both lines are down, no gasoline is moving down the line. Nothing is going through," said Tamra Johnson, a spokeswoman for AAA. "So we can actually start seeing some supply outages in the coming days if they don't put a plan in place."

If the pipeline's two main lines remain closed, motorists could begin seeing prices rise at the pumps within about a week, Johnson said.

After the explosion, gasoline futures rocketed almost 8 percent higher on the New York Mercantile exchange, to $1.53 per gallon.

"In a worst-case scenario we could be talking about more severe outages than what we saw back in September. It's very worrisome that both pipelines are shut down right now," said Patrick DeHaan, an analyst with price-tracking service GasBuddy.com.

Plagued by a severe drought after weeks without rain, the section of Alabama where the explosion happened has been scarred by multiple wildfires in recent weeks, and crews worked to keep the blaze from spreading.

Coleen Vansant, a spokeswoman with the Alabama Forestry Commission, said crews built a 75-foot-long earthen dam to contain burning fuel. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office said the blaze had been contained but it was unclear how long the fire may take to burn out.


Colonial Pipeline Explosion in Alabama Sends Gas, Diesel Prices Higher

Gasoline and diesel prices soared Tuesday after a major fuel artery was severed for the second time in two months, cutting off the pipeline that supplies much of the East Coast with gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

The outage on the Colonial pipeline following a Monday explosion threatens to cause gasoline shortages across much of the southeast and could cause flight disruptions at airports from Baltimore to Raleigh, N.C.

Colonial said on Tuesday that the diesel pipeline resumed operations at midnight and that the gasoline line is scheduled to restart Saturday, but that could change after the company gets more information. Colonial said it would work with shippers to send gasoline through the diesel line.

During the previous slowdown, gasoline prices jumped by more than 20 cents in a matter of days throughout Georgia and in parts of Tennessee and South Carolina. Atlanta filling stations experienced gasoline shortages after some drivers made multiple trips to fuel up all their cars.

Just having one line shut down caused a circus. Imagine having both,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy. “It’s much more grave of a situation, and prices are shooting up.

The East Coast has become more dependent on fuel deliveries from the Gulf Coast after refineries along the Eastern Seaboard have shut down in recent years. Earlier this year, Kinder Morgan halted plans to build a fuel pipeline from South Carolina to Jacksonville, Fla., amid local opposition and legislation in Georgia aimed at preventing the pipeline from being built. The pipeline was slated to open next year.

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Barclays analyst Warren Russell said on Tuesday prior to Colonial's statement that a restart could take longer due to concerns by regulators, given the proximity to the September leak, and as repair and safety inspections take place.

“The facts on the ground are not 100 percent clear," said Russell. "This is the second accident in two months, so the stakes are much higher this time around."


25 years of pipeline explosions = a very long list
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby litesong » Tue 01 Nov 2016, 14:05:08

What? There must have been hundreds of explosions in your list!!!
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby ROCKMAN » Tue 01 Nov 2016, 14:19:23

And speaking of potential nightmares caused by anti-oil sands activists shouting in oil pipelines here's an example of what happens when an experienced hand does so:

1975 A Mid-Valley Pipeline crude oil pipeline at Lima, Ohio ruptured after a valve was accidentally closed against a pumping pipeline on January 17. The spraying crude oil ignited, killing a Terminal Operator.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby Outcast_Searcher » Tue 01 Nov 2016, 14:41:38

GHung wrote:Then, again, it could be something as simple as a crappy or distracted equipment operator who zigged when he/she should have zagged, or even a busted hydraulic hose.

True. In that case the courts/regulators should determine what happened, objectively -- and if it was carelessness (or especially breaking the laws/regulations) on the part of the energy company, THEN they should be sued to EPIC proportions.

What's so ugly in this case is that BOTH pipelines are now down -- the reason for having two in the first place is to avoid a complete shut-down (redundancy).
Given the track record of the perma-doomer blogs, I wouldn't bet a fast crash doomer's money on their predictions.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby ROCKMAN » Tue 01 Nov 2016, 15:10:55

FYI: The overwhelmingly majority of such accidents the Rockman has seen first hand were the result of human error. And often in direct violation of company policies. Very difficult to keep human nature out of the process. As I pointed out about the BP blow in 4 decades I've never worked for company that followed the dangerous procedure used by BP. OTOH had the drill crew been monitoring the well following STANDARD oil field practices the well might have taken a kick but they could have very likely prevented the deaths and oil spill.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby Revi » Wed 02 Nov 2016, 08:42:59

They said on the news that a contractor was trying to fix a spill that was reported in September. I guess it filled up the two ponds below the spill, so there was a lot of gasoline around. Any spark could have ignited it.
Deep in the mud and slime of things, even there, something sings.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby ROCKMAN » Wed 02 Nov 2016, 08:59:18

Revi - Very odd if correct: not smart to have any engine running near loose gasoline/diesel. It takes very little vapor in the air to cause a big boom. Example: 25 years ago I had a crew sand blasting the inside of a drained oil storage tank offshore. No oil in the tank but the steel wall had absorbed some hydrocarbon molecules over the year. Had ventilators running to vent fumes. They broke for midnight supper and turned the ventilator AND work lights off. Came back in a hour, turned the lights back on and BOOM!. Blew the steel bottom out of the tank. No pollution since it was empty. Fortunately it happened before anyone got back into the tank. Death would have been instantaneous.

Most folks have no idea how little hydrocarbon vapor in the air it takes to make a powerful bomb.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby litesong » Wed 02 Nov 2016, 10:40:30

ROCKMAN wrote:Very difficult to keep human nature out of the process.


That's why strong unions, where actual workers operate safety programs are better than similar(not same) programs with some executive(emphasize execute), white collar paper shuffler is in charge.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby Revi » Wed 02 Nov 2016, 10:54:17

Here's the situation today. The headline says they might get it back in service by Saturday, but the article doesn't mention a timeline. Here's what they said:

"The fire is still burning, and Colonial expects to be able to get into the site in the next day or two—and from there, determine how long a repair will take."

http://fortune.com/2016/11/02/colonial- ... explosion/
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby kublikhan » Wed 02 Nov 2016, 11:00:42

Outcast_Searcher wrote:This whole thing seems kind of bizarre to me.

In '12, I had a bunch of work done on my house for improvements and problems. So multiple trenches had to be dug.

In each case, the water, electric, and gas companies came out and indicated where the lines were. It wasn't to the inch, but it was quite close. The closer my description for where we were going to dig, the more accurate and complete were the markings.

And there were no exceptions. When I called after the first time, stated we were digging in the same area, and already knew where the lines were from the previous time -- it didn't matter. Even when I stated I was 100% confident no one had, for example, added gas or water lines while I wasn't paying attention, the rules were ironclad -- in each case of any digging -- all the utilities had to mark their lines -- no exceptions, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
I only wish the aholes who dug around my house had gotten this response. A nearby neighbor wanted to do some excavating. The idiots who came out to dig did not do the surveying. Instead they dug straight into a gas main. Fortunately there was no explosion. But the entire neighbor stank heavy of gas until the utility could come out and repair the damage. I see the signs everywhere: call J.U.L.I.E. before you dig(Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators). You would think that someone who does excavating for a living would follow through with that simply advice. *sigh*
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby GHung » Wed 02 Nov 2016, 12:55:44

Often these smaller contractors will avoid calling in order to not bring attention to the job because they don't want to pull permits. Quick-and-easy, in-and-out, avoids all the hassles,,, usually :?
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby ROCKMAN » Wed 02 Nov 2016, 14:54:58

Lite - "That's why strong unions..." Why do you assume that wasn't a union member that caused the explosion? Unlike a "right to work" state like Texas there are a lot of union members in Alabama...over 240,000 according to the Labor Dept. In fact the exploding tank accident I described above involved union members. The oil train that rolled into that Canadian town and killed dozens was manned by members of one of the oldest US unions.

I've worked with many union and non-union hands over the last 4 decades and thinking back I don't sense one group was more safety conscious then the other. And it might come as a shock to some but THE most safety minded company I've dealt with over the last 40 years was ExxonMobil. Not because they were saints but because it knew they had a big bullseye on its back when it came to lawsuits. It wasn't the XOM engineers who would bust your balls over saferty...it was its lawyers. Really. LOL.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby kublikhan » Wed 02 Nov 2016, 15:27:20

ROCKMAN wrote:And it might come as a shock to some but THE most safety minded company I've dealt with over the last 40 years was ExxonMobil. Not because they were saints but because it knew they had a big bullseye on its back when it came to lawsuits. It wasn't the XOM engineers who would bust your balls over saferty...it was its lawyers. Really. LOL.
Check out the safety record of BP vs Exxon: Video: BP Vs Exxon Safety Record
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby ROCKMAN » Wed 02 Nov 2016, 17:50:22

What k's video from the Daily Show discusses:

Serious refinery violations during the last three years:

BP - 760
ExxonMobil - One.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby hvacman » Wed 02 Nov 2016, 20:49:59

GHung wrote:Often these smaller contractors will avoid calling in order to not bring attention to the job because they don't want to pull permits. Quick-and-easy, in-and-out, avoids all the hassles,,, usually :?


Here in northern California, we call USA (underground service alert) on 811. They don't care or even ask about permits or plans. You just need to send an address or road post-mile and mark with white spray paint on the ground where you need them to "USA". They'll respond and mark in color codes all the buried utilities within 48 hours. City water, ATT, cable, gas, electric, sewer, everybody all respond with one call, even if they don't have anything there. I did it when my wife and I put up a little free library and had to dig a post hole along the road in front of our house next to the mail box. That's not a permit thing (even reg-crazy California doesn't require permits for little free libraries - yet!) but it gave me piece of mind that I wouldn't also become an lead story on the 6 o'clock news.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby vox_mundi » Fri 04 Nov 2016, 13:27:34

Colonial Delays Restart to Sunday as Pipe Segment Replaced

Colonial Pipeline Co. has delayed until Sunday the expected restart of the largest U.S. fuel pipeline, which was shut this week by an explosion and fire in Alabama.

Colonial aims to restore service on the main 1.3 million-barrel-a-day gasoline pipeline one day later than originally expected, it said in an online statement. The six-day outage means that nearly 330 million gallons of gasoline will be backed up at the pipeline’s Gulf Coast origin by the time the line restarts.

The blast took out service on one line of a system that brings gasoline, jet fuel and diesel more than 5,000 miles from refineries in Houston to storage facilities near New York City. Colonial Pipeline, which is owned by a group that includes subsidiaries of Koch Industries Inc. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc, supplies about half of the refined products used on the East Coast. This week’s events followed a spill in September that left the line out of service for 12 days.

The pipeline makes shipments of gasoline in five-day cycles to Southeastern states that are otherwise cut off from access to refineries that produce motor fuel. A batch of regular conventional gasoline left Monday from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to a Colonial shipping schedule.
Supplies to markets in Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia are at risk when this line goes down, said Andy Milton, senior vice president of supply and distribution at Mansfield Oil Co., a fuel supplier based in Gainesville, Georgia.

So far retail gasoline rises have only been significant in Georgia, where pump prices rose 6 cents since last Friday, according to Tamara Johnson, a spokeswoman for AAA, a motorist advocacy group.


Internal documents reveal how Colonial responds to gas pipeline explosions, breaks

Two days after a gasoline pipeline exploded in Shelby County, Alabama, killing one worker and injuring four others, owner and operator Colonial Pipeline faces a post-incident assessment and planning process that has become familiar in recent months.

Internal documents generated by Colonial in September that AL.com obtained last week from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to a formal records request provide a view of the numerous steps the company takes after a major pipeline incident.

Image
Contractor monitoring air quality at the site of the October 31 incident on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby Newfie » Fri 04 Nov 2016, 13:48:50

FWIW, (I think this is related) we are currently in Wilmington NC. according to the Dock Master who wears a my hats for the city, the entire region is starved for fuel due to the pipe break. They are keeping on through shipments via tanker to Wilmington, which is then trucked out as needed to serve the region.

There is an annual marathon whose route is partially used by the tanker trucks. Apparently the Gov. is considering some action to shut down the marathon so as to not interfere with the trucks.
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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby Newfie » Sat 05 Nov 2016, 15:40:14

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Re: Alert: Colonial Gasoline Pipeline Shutdown

Unread postby GoghGoner » Mon 09 Jan 2017, 08:58:05

Looks like the pipeline is shut b/w Chattanooga and Nashville. Might save yourself a few dollars by getting gas before too long if you live in the region is serves.

COLONIAL PIPELINE SEARCHES FOR LEAK IN CHATTANOOGA AREA
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