Coincidence? 2nd Texas pipeline hit by explosion-Were both explosions tied to the May 20 HLS Alert?

[Seeker of Truth]

Coincidence? 2nd TX pipeline hit by explosion-Were both explosions tied to the May 20 Homeland Security alert?

Backfire to blame in explosion

By CHRISTINE RAPPLEYE and JACQUELINE LANE
The Enterprise 05/28/2003

WOODVILLE — Backfire from a truck ignited the fire that consumed 11 tanks and four transport trucks at the Houston Pipe Line Company facility near Woodville, Railroad Commission officials confirmed Tuesday.

Workers were testing the pipeline and putting petroleum condensate into holding tanks Saturday when a backfire from one of the trucks ignited the condensate fumes and started the blaze, said Bobby Heith, spokesman for the Railroad Commission.

Workers had been removing petroleum condensate from a 42-mile stretch of pipeline at a temporary holding facility owned by Houston Pipe Line at County Road 3550 and U.S. 190 near Woodville.

Petroleum condensate is a high-gravity oil which is a better grade of oil than gasoline, Heith said.

Officials from the Oil and Gas Division of the Railroad Commission wrapped up their investigation Tuesday, Heith said.

"Once the fire is out, we will probably supervise the clean-up," he said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, five of the tanks were still blazing, with flames from two feet to 20 feet, according to the commission's investigation report. Standby fire crews were on location, Heith said.

Tyler County emergency management officials Tuesday were hoping the blaze would be out by late today, said county emergency management coordinator John Paul Feeley.

He said a formal investigation would be held after the fire was extinguished, he said.

More @ southeasttexaslive.com (http://www.southeasttexaslive.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=8144557&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=5 12588&rfi=8)

[Seeker of Truth]

May 20th explosion at Texas natural gas pipeline covered up by news media


Pipeline explosion unplugs Sunoco

CHRISTINE RAPPLEYE , The Beaumont Enterprise 05/22/2003

NEDERLAND — A late-night explosion and fire at the Houston Pipe Line Company’s natural gas pipeline forced Sunoco Logistics to close its Nederland terminal at SH 347 and FM 366.

No injuries were reported.

"The main thing is that it put out all of our power," said Jayme Cox, spokeswoman for Sunoco Logistics

At 11:20 p.m., the pipeline ruptured for an unknown reason, causing the explosions and fire, said Peter Main, communications consultant with American Electric Power, the parent company of Houston Pipe Line.

Houston Pipe Line owns and operates the pipeline, which runs through the Sunoco terminal.

A safety device on the 30-inch pipeline shut off natural gas to that section of the pipeline because of a drop in pressure due to the fire, Main said.

The explosion rattled homes in Nederland and Port Neches and sent a shower of dust and dirt over neighboring homes and businesses, according to rescue crews on the scene.

"The walls were rattling and dust was falling off the ceiling," said James Crabtree, a paramedic with MetroCare EMS of Port Arthur, who responded to the explosion.

Fire crews had the blaze out by 3 a.m., Cox said.

More @ southeasttexaslive.com (http://www.southeasttexaslive.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=8092445&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=5 12588&rfi=8)