Louisiana - Interstate 20 shut down because of pipeline fire

ksla.com ^ | December 14, 2007

[HAL9000]

Excerpt -

DELHI, La. (AP) - Interstate 20, a major east-west route across north Louisiana was shut down Friday afternoon after a nearby oil pipeline erupted in flames.

Sgt. Markus Smith of the Louisiana State police says the explosion happened about 1 pm.

Details were sketchy, but Smith says the pipeline was burning just east of Delhi, a small town about 200 miles northwest of New Orleans. The dispatcher for the Richland Parish Sheriff's Department, who would not give his name, says the oil line is about 50 yards from the interstate. He says the four-mile stretch from Delhi to the Waverly exit will be closed in both directions indefinitely.

This is the second time in weeks an interstate highway has been shut down because of an oil line fire.

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[JustaDumbBlonde]

It is my understanding that there are sensors on the pipeline, maybe at the transmission station which is about 2 miles south of here, that automatically shut down the line if a drop in pressure is detected. A drop in pressure indicates a breach and triggers the shutdown. It burned for a very brief period of time.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

BTW, it was a 30-inch line.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Westbound traffic just came by ... nothing eastbound yet. My husband reports that traffic is backed up solid for about 8 miles to the west, even though a parallel road has been taking on traffic ever since the explosion.

[RightWhale]

We’re maybe going to build a natural gas pipeline 52 inches diameter from Prudhoe Bay to Chicago. Big maybe. $30 billion. I am studying commercial and residential gas installation, although retired and no intent to go into that line of work but might have to speak the lingo just to go shopping at the local supermarket.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

From what I was able to tell, we only lost a few large trees that were blown over by the force of the blast. Not that we are short of trees or anything though. Lots of good firewood ready to be cut though. All of our livestock is accounted for.

[deport]

All of our livestock is accounted for.

---

Just can’t hear you when you call, huh?

[RightWhale]

That would be a little bigger than the 24 inch reinjection lines we have at Prudhoe. It’s industrial grade.

[SE Mom]

Wow. Sounds like quite an afternoon/evening for you. Getting some firewood is good, though:)

Thanks for the news and updates.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Let me tell you something ... when the fire was burning it sounded like there was a 747 at full throttle in my back yard. The noise was incredible and I could feel the heat from the fire on my porch. The fire was about a mile away. Awesome.

[i_dont_chat]

Thanksgiving week there was a pipeline fire which had I-10 shut down. We have relatives driving into Houston from that area, and they had to detour around it. That was only last month.

What’s with these pipeline fires?

[WFTR]

This pipeline exploded back in 2000, I believe it was. This time it blew about 50 yards south of I-20. Last time it was about 50 yards north of the freeway. Two blasts in virtually the same place is suspect.

When I hear that account, I suspect a problem with cathodic protection or just poor inspection in that area.

[WFTR]

What’s with these pipeline fires?

The problem could be nothing more than poor inspection or poor maintenance of cathodic protection systems in that area.

[SaveTheChief]

Whose pipeline is it? I did some work at a natural gas facility in Delhi last year but this doesn’t sound like the same place.

[Tall_Texan]

Thanks for the photo. Must be scary to see that out your back window.

I drove through I-10 on my way to see family for Thanksgiving. They detoured us up I-49 to Opelousas then took the old highway 190 to Baton Rouge. By the time I drove back, they had reopened I-10 and saw the spot of the explosion. It just looked like a charred mess. I ate lunch at Mulate’s in Breaux Bridge which wasn’t accessible before due to the detour.

Well, grab some marshmallows and have yourself a roast. LOL

[Rumplemeyer]

Gas flows in a clockwise spiral within the pipeline at mainline pressure of 600 psi +, ANY ding or dent that protrude INTO the flow line is subject to wear, ask any NG supplier, this causes the metal to wear away, at 600 psi the failure causes FRICTION and heat...fire feed by 600 psi line pressure is a column of fire 100 + feet into the sky until the line valves sense a pressure drop and close.

An additional effect is the inital ignition consumes ALL oxygen in the area causing a gale force wind INTO the fire, this wind will pull you TO the fire if near the failure, you have no chance of survival.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

The pipeline is Columbia Gulf's. Their transmission station is about 2 miles south of the interstate on Hwy 17. There is another facility on Hwy 80 just west of here that belongs to ANR.

There has been construction at Columbia Gulf for over a year -- they are doubling the capacity (if not more) to handle the wells that are being drilled. Just prior to the expansion they were refinishing (painting) underground lines.

There is another transmission station that belongs to Tennessee Gas that is about 10 miles north of Delhi in Epps.

Did you eat at the Handy House while you were in town?

[JustaDumbBlonde]

This line must have had much, much more than 600 psi because the flames were hundreds of feet into the sky. If you saw the photo I posted upthread, you will see that it was at least 300 feet high, maybe more.

[SaveTheChief]

Did you eat at the Handy House while you were in town?

Not to my recollection. Where is it located?

The article says this is an Oil Pipeline. I thought Columbia Gulf was only interested in natural gas. Or is that confusion on the part of the news room?

Naturally, this is in your back yard so I will take your word for it.

I've been to the Columbia Gulf transmission station. Yikes.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

The article is incorrect. It is a natural gas pipeline. See KNOE reporting.

The Handy House is the greasy spoon next to the two hotels right next to the freeway at the Delhi exit. All the guys that work on the pipeline eat there. I figured if you spent more than a day in Delhi, you had probably eaten there.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Photo below taken at 1:14 p.m. from the bank of the Bayou Macon, only about 150 yards from the site of the explosion. The flames are only a fraction of what they had been only minutes before when I was on the porch. I had to stop and unlock a gate on the way to the bayou, which explains the delay.

This photo (below) was taken at 1:18 p.m., approximately 15 minutes after the explosion and, as you can see the flames are all but out. The fireball was just to the right of the freeway. This was taken from the I-20 bridge over the Bayou Macon and is looking to the east. All of the vehicles you see are emergency responders.

If you look carefully in the distant median, you can see a part of the pipeline.

This next photo (below) was taken at the same time, from the bridge looking back to the west.