ALICE (Kiii News) –
There has been what appears to be a major natural gas well explosion at around 3 p.m. near County Road 118 and U.S. 281, just outside of Alice.
The explosion has sparked grass fires in the area, which crews are fighting to get under control. Kiii News viewers Lisa R. Silva and Gary Wells sent us some video of the fire via Facebook.
UPDATE: They have now determined it was a gathering line that exploded per the comments below.
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Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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The news I’ve seen show it to be a pipeline:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/07/us-gas-explosion-texas-copano-idUSBRE88600520120907
So, everyone relax, pipelines blow up or fail nearly every day in the US. Sad, but true.
And, if one of these pipeline explosions take s out some homes, or people, there’s nothing to prevent some of these production companies from just slipping away in the night, right?
And, a good pipeline explosion does wonders for suburban redevelopment & giving building contractors more needed work in the slow economy:
San Bruno survivors watch documentary about them
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/peninsula&id=8801330&pt=print
So, why the fuss? Nothing like a little sarcasm to wake people up.
Reuters story there at the link says it was a gas gathering pipeline. If so, then that blows the theory once again so often expressed to us by our cities to “stop worrying about these lines because gas gathering pipelines don’t rupture.”
Here’s the link to the July 18, 2012 gas gathering pipeline rupture and explosion (from the Wikipedia List of 21st Century Pipeline Accidents):
http://www.eunicetoday.com/view/full_story/19367444/article-Gas-line-blows-in-Intracoastal-City–no-one-hurt?instance=secondary_news_left_column
Uh oh, I think that’s a totally different pipeline!
“Copano Energy’s 10-inch Bradshaw line, which services Jim Wells County, caught fire around 15:00 on Thursday afternoon just north of Alice, Texas, spokesman Craig Brown said.”
http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article1265011.ece
Yes, that was one of those “ultra safe” gas gathering lines near Alice TX!
GB: Yes, it IS a totally different gas gathering pipeline! It was just the most recent gas gathering pipeline accident highlighted on the Wikipedia List prior to yesterday’s Alice, TX explosion. We want to keep up with them …since you know, they are covering N. TX. 🙁
That Reuters story wasn’t up when I posted this last night. All that had come through on the Alerts was the report from the local news.
Thank you, Sharon. I’m glad to see they are digging in to the initial reports and finding out the details and the “type” of pipeline, too. Since our city just OK’d a gas gathering pipeline system within a few yards of schools and homes with the excuse/explanation, “they are low pressure and they don’t rupture…” That looks like a pretty darn, BIG rupture/explosion.
Sure happens a lot these days, eh? But, hey, Arlington is trained so maybe they will help out in other areas that aren’t trained. Just hold tight until they get there.
Absolutely. We’re so glad to see Arlington, TX Firefighters obtaining this gas well fire fighting training!! We do have to wonder how it will work since these gathering lines are contiguous. Will they stop short at the border between the two cities and say, “Oh, sorry, that’s not our city on fire. “
CONFIRMED! The 14 inch PSI Midstream gathering line that failed in LA is SSW of Lafayette LA. The Alice TX Copano Energy 10 inch pipeline is west of Corpus Christi. Different sizes & locations.
Since weed smoking is a hit with some in fracking, very plainly: One is east of Houston, the other south west of Houston.
Bite me, those who say gathering lines are safe!
Now, some of you in the gas industry will say that pipelines make so little money that safety is too expensive, so burning down homes is OK. Well, a news piece came to my attention:
http://www.ogj.com/articles/print/vol-110/issue-9/special-report-pipeline-economics/oil-pipeline-operators-2011.html
Oil pipeline operators’ net income soared to an all-time high of $6.1 billion, a 33.3% increase from 2010 achieved on the back of a nearly 12% increase in operating revenues.
And, energy consumption was not so big last year.
Where’s that picture of bull “droppings” when you need it here?