Tetco explosion curbs northeast gas service

OREANDA-NEWS. May 04, 2016. An explosion and fire this morning on a 36-inch segment of the Spectra Energy's Texas Eastern Transmission (Tetco) system in southwestern Pennsylvania damaged a nearby storage injection well, destroyed a home and seriously injured one person.

The blast occurred at 8:13am ET in the rural community of Salem Township about 30 miles (48km) east of Pittsburg in Westmoreland county. Spectra isolated and depressurized the segment and shuttered three adjacent lines in the area, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Spectra today issued a force majeure downstream its nearby Delmont compressor station and cut flows to the Penn-Jersey pipeline that serves mid-Atlantic markets to zero. Repairs will begin as soon as possible but length of the work was unknown, the company said.

In addition, Spectra will not allow increases in gas receipts west of Delmont for delivery east of the station on the Penn-Jersey line. It also suspended service at the Columbia Midstream Group and the Dominion-Crooked Run meters, both in Westmoreland county.

Authorities evacuated residents from a dozen homes in about a quarter-mile radius from the pipeline blast. The fire continued to burn through the morning until the residual gas in the pipeline segment was exhausted at mid-day.

West Penn Power was working to restore electricity to about 500 homes.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, the DEP said.