Gas pipeline explosion in Milford

[Frank]

http://touch.kxan.com/10023/144286269

MILFORD, Texas (KXAS/KXAN) – A gas pipeline exploded Thursday morning south of Dallas near the small town of Milford.

Flames could be seen shooting into the air and some vehicles at the worksite had been burned near the Ellis County town about 50 miles south of Dallas.

According to The Associated Press, the Ellis County Sheriff's Office said the explosion involves a Chevron pipeline. Messages left by AP with Chevron were not immediately returned.

Lt. James Salter says authorities have not received any word of injuries.
The Dallas Morning News reported that the Ellis County Sheriff's Department Milford resident to evacuate. People were being sent to a domed gym in nearby in the nearby town of Italy. Officials say that's to escape the fumes, which are heading toward Milford. There are no reports of injuries.

Lt. James Saulter of the Ellis County Sheriff's Office said deputies were going door-to-door in Milford, advising people in the town of about 700 to leave.

Milford school Superintendent Don Clingenpeel said all students and staff were sent to the Italy gym.

NBC 5, KXAN's sister station in Dallas-Fort Worth, reported that a 10-inch pipeline east of U.S. Highway 77 and Farm-to-Market Road 308 was being worked on when it exploded.

As the station's helicopter flew to the scene, a massive plume of smoke was clearly visible on the horizon from about 40 miles out. From 20 miles out, the flames shooting up into the air were visible, according to Ames Meyer, onboard Chopper 5.

The area around the fire appeared to be farmland. First responders are being called in from neighboring cities and all roads within a mile radius are being closed, NBC 5 reported.

[BoostedD1]

Boom.



Hope there are survivors.

[Sean88gt]

Pain at the pump.

[03mustangdude]

shoulda shipped by rail.

choo choo

[Strychnine]

[Sean88gt]

Fresh drill?

[Strychnine]

Fresh drill?

In the first pic you can see the above-ground valve. They knew very well that the pipe was there.

That looks like a single mast water well drilling rig, but there's no way anyone would risk that for a water well. I can't think of any reason they would drill there (as opposed to excavating or something)

[Josh.0]

that ford truck is roasted, the cheby looks fine haha

[Sean88gt]

In the first pic you can see the above-ground valve. They knew very well that the pipe was there.

That looks like a single mast water well drilling rig, but there's no way anyone would risk that for a water well. I can't think of any reason they would drill there (as opposed to excavating or something)

Had to pull that up on the big screen. Have to wonder wtf they were thinking.

[zachary]

looks to me it was a workover rig setup on a well bore. Maybe just had a bump...no way in hell someone would do that next to a pipeline unless an existing well bore was there...surely not! What about the untouched chevy truck!

[YALE]

looks to me it was a workover rig setup on a well bore. Maybe just had a bump...no way in hell someone would do that next to a pipeline unless an existing well bore was there...surely not! What about the untouched chevy truck!

It may look untouched, but trust & believe it's toast, that close.

[Trip McNeely]

That looks like a gathering line. More than likely it is being 10". That tower like thing is too low to be a workover rig. Might be some sort of Artificial Lift system. Who knows. Someone was probably welding and didnt have an LEL meter.

[Captain Crawfish]

oops

[Strychnine]

looks to me it was a workover rig setup on a well bore. Maybe just had a bump...no way in hell someone would do that next to a pipeline unless an existing well bore was there...surely not! What about the untouched chevy truck!

Definitely not a workover rig. That's single mast, as opposed to a double which all nearly all workover rigs are, and it's on a truck chassis (see pic 1) not a workover frame. They were doing a shallow drill.


According to WFAA
The line runs from New Mexico to the east side of Houston.

"They were tying to dig a hole to put some kind of pole in."

Chevron's official statement:

"A crew was performing excavation activities at the site when a rupture in the line was reported."

[stephen4785]

Soon as I read the title I thought to myself "someone was probably digging and didnt get a line locate done". Most of the pipeline fires happen that way. There was a roustabout crew that almost blew up one the plants I go to because they didnt do a line locate(I wasnt there). Everyone involved screwed that up. They hit a 24" gas pipe(with 1100psi in it) under ground in the middle of the plant with a back hoe that still had the teeth on the bucket. No one had a line check done and no one thought to make sure the bucket didnt have a bar on the end.