Investigation Reveals Cause of Natural Gas Pipeline Puncture in Northeastern B.C.

📅 3 weeks ago

A federal investigation has determined that inaccurate identification of a natural gas pipeline's location led to a puncture in northeastern B.C. last November, releasing a significant amount of gas without causing an explosion.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A recent investigation by the Transportation Safety Board has concluded that the puncture of a natural gas pipeline in northeastern British Columbia last November was due to the inaccurate identification of the pipeline's location. The incident occurred on a segment of pipeline managed by Westcoast Energy Ltd., located approximately 150 kilometres northwest of Fort St. John.
According to the report, the accident transpired while crews were engaged in the installation of a new pipeline intended to pass beneath two existing pipelines. The puncture occurred as the crew was creating an observation hole necessary for monitoring the path of the boring operation. The investigation details that, to stabilize unstable soil conditions and to push through an obstruction, a pipe was inserted vertically into the hole. Shortly after, the crew detected the odor of gas, prompting an evacuation of the workers from the vicinity.
The safety board's findings reveal that around 47,000 cubic metres of natural gas were released during the incident, which is equivalent to nearly 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Fortunately, the gas did not ignite, and no explosion occurred. Investigators highlighted a critical oversight: an aboveground locator stake that indicated the pipeline's location had been removed during site cleanup. A new stake was subsequently placed, but without proper verification of the pipeline's location. When the crew proceeded to dig the hole, they inadvertently created a six-centimetre crack in the pipeline.
The report states, "When changing site conditions resulted in the removal of the 2-inch-by-4-inch wooden post, the location of the pipeline was no longer positively identified." This lack of a clear identification led construction crews to request re-staking of the area to ascertain the pipeline's exact location.
In light of this incident, the federal agency has issued a reminder to construction teams to ensure that buried facilities are accurately identified prior to any digging activities in the vicinity. Remarkably, there were no injuries reported as a result of this event, underscoring the importance of adherence to safety protocols during construction operations.

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