A firefighter extinguishing a pipeline fire. (Source: Shutterstock)
Energy Transfer confirmed to Hart Energy that the pipeline fire that broke out in La Porte, Texas, in the morning of Sept. 16. was at a value station along Spencer Highway on a 20-inch natural gas liquids line.
Energy Transfer spokesperson Vicki Granado said the line has been isolated so that the residual product in the line can safely burn itself out, but did not give a timeline for how long the process could take.
Energy Transfer also acknowledged reports of potential damage to its equipment caused by an unknown vehicle.
"We are aware of early reports indicating that an unknown passenger car entered our right-of-way and struck the valve location," Granado told Hart Energy in an emailed statement.
The fire knocked out power to thousands of homes and business and prompted nearby evacuations. Videos posted by a local news station showed a massive flame near streets and businesses, Reuters initially reported.
The La Porte Fire Department has evacuated all homes and businesses within a half mile of the incident site and air monitoring equipment is being set up in the area, Energy Transfer told Hart Energy.
There were no injuries reported at the time.
The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) said its pipeline safety inspectors are working with state and local emergency responders at the scene. The RRC is notifying other pipeline operators in the corridor of the incident and getting information on measures they are taking to ensure safety of systems.
CenterPoint said the fire was not related to its natural gas operations or equipment, Reuters said. Over 5,000 CenterPoint Energy customers were without power, according to a posting on the company's website.
"When it is safe to do so, our electric crews will go into the area to assess the damage to our transmission and distribution power lines, poles and equipment and begin restoring service to impacted customers as safely and quickly as possible," the company said.
Students attending schools near the scene of the fire were safe and sheltering in place, the La Porte Independent School District said.
Recommended Reading
Dividends Declared (Sept. 30 - Oct. 11, 2024)
2024-10-11 - Here is a compilation of dividends and distributions declared from select upstream, midstream and service and supply companies from Sept. 30 to Oct. 11.
Post Oak Backs New Permian Team, But PE Faces Uphill Fundraising Battle
2024-10-11 - As private equity begins the process of recycling inventory, likely to be divested from large-scale mergers, executives acknowledged that raising funds has become increasingly difficult.
Delek Logistics Partners Raises $166MM in Offering to Pay Debt
2024-10-11 - Delek Logisitics Partners closed an offering of 4.42 million common units to generate gross proceeds of $166 million.
Citgo Auction in Jeopardy as Venezuela Bondholders Pursue Parallel Claims
2024-10-11 - The court cases have increased uncertainty over which company is best positioned to take over the seventh-largest U.S. refiner Citgo Petroleum.
Comments
Add new comment
This conversation is moderated according to Hart Energy community rules. Please read the rules before joining the discussion. If you’re experiencing any technical problems, please contact our customer care team.