broad update on el paso system el paso south system flows 700 mmcf / d
less than two weeks after the deadly explosion on el paso natural gas ' system
in southeastern new mexico , the pipeline last week had more than 700 mmcf / d
of its 1 . 1 bcf / d capacity restored to its south mainline that services
markets between texas and california .
at mid - day friday , el paso said it began running about 260 mmcf / d through
line 1100 after it received the go - ahead from the federal office of pipeline
safety ( ops ) , according to spokeswoman kim wallace . el paso was able to
re - start partial service on the 26 - inch line after it built a 16 - inch
temporary connector line between line 1110 and line 1100 , which was approved
by ops .
the temporary connector was installed just east of the pecos river explosion
site , about 30 miles from carlsbad , nm . wallace said line 1100 would carry
the gas from eunice , nm , just northeast of the pecos river compressor
station , to the connector with line 1110 , which then would transport it
westward across the pecos river bridge where it would meet up with line 1100
further downstream . meanwhile , wallace said el paso submitted to ops last
week the test results and a preliminary return - to - service plan for line 1100 .
three days prior , the ops had given el paso permission to restore service to
line 1110 from the keystone station through the pecos river compressor
station at a reduced level . the pipeline re - opened the line at about 400
mmcf / d , and gradually increased it to 480 mmcf / d by friday . this is " still
within the limits it [ ops ] set " for line 1110 , wallace said .
the ops restricted el paso ' s line 1110 to 80 % of the operating pressure of
line 1103 at the time it ruptured , according to department of transportation
spokeswoman debbie hinz . she said this put the line at a pressure of about
538 pounds per square inch .
the ops - ordered shutdown of line 1110 lasted 10 days , during which the agency
ordered el paso to conduct extensive hydrostatic , ultrasound and x - ray tests
to determine its safety , and to submit a plan for restoring service to the
line .
as for the future of ruptured line 1103 , wallace said repairs on it would not
begin until after the investigation of the explosion is completed , which will
" probably be nine to 12 months . "
the restoration of service couldn ' t come soon enough for el paso customers
who have been scrambling for transportation capacity ever since federal
investigators and regulators closed down the three lines that make up el
paso ' s south main leg in the wake of the blast that killed 11 people and
critically injured one . california customers have been taking gas out of
storage to meet their needs during the service interruption . the department
of energy has set up a task force to evaluate the effects of the explosion
and shutdown on the gas market .
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