Explosion investigation could take ‘months’
Published 2:39 pm Friday, December 16, 2011
The investigation into a gas line explosion in South Marengo County continues.
Officials with Williams Gas and Pipeline said the damaged section of pipe is currently undergoing analysis.
“The damaged pipeline has been removed and sent to an engineering consulting firm to determine exactly what caused the rupture,” Jeff Pounds, a spokesman for Williams, said. “We expect their analysis will take several months.”
A Transco natural gas pipeline ruptured at approximately 3:07 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 with an explosion that could be heard for more than 30 miles while shooting flames nearly 100 feet in the air for over an hour.
The pipeline was shutdown immediately after the failure as firefighters battled the blaze for the next 90 minutes.
The fire was isolated to a mostly unpopulated area down Highway 69 toward Myrtlewood – near Rembert Hills Road – on hunting land.
There were no injuries as a result of the explosion or fire.