A Huge Natural Gas Line Explosion Just Lit Up West Virginia [PHOTOS]

business insider ^ | 12.11.2012 | Matthew Boesler

[Morgana]

Reports are coming in of a big explosion in Sissonville, West Virginia.

Via local news outlet WSAZ:

The northbound lanes of Interstate 77 are closed in the Sissonville area, from Tuppers Creek to Pocatalico due to what's being called a major gas line explosion.

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper tells WSAZ.com crews were called to what was described as a major gas line explosion in Sissonville.

WSAZ says that right now, no injuries or fatalities have been reported.

Below are two photos from Twitter. The first was posted by Charleston Gazette reporter

[WVNan]

News said that Columbia Gas has been sited for safety violations several times. That’s gonna hurt.

[PA Engineer]

Here is a follow up on the pipeline explosion for your reference.

NTSB releases preliminary report on West Virginia pipeline rupture

The rupture occurred in a pipe that was a part of a pipeline segment installed in 1967 with an original, nominal wall thickness of 0.281 inches. The 20-foot ejected section of the pipe was fractured in the base metal along the entire longitudinal direction along the bottom of the pipe. The outside surface of the pipe was heavily corroded near the midpoint and along the longitudinal fracture. The thinned area was approximately 6 feet in the longitudinal direction and 2 feet in the circumferential direction. The lowest wall thickness measured was 0.078 inches.

I will find out sooner or later if this was a location of a pulled casing. The corrosion occurred contrary to established best practices, regulation and corrosion prevention technologies.