Pipeline accident report: Columbia Liquified Natural Gas Corporation Explosion and Fire, Cove Point, Maryland, October 6, 1979

Technical Report · Wed Apr 16 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6834471

About 3:35 a.m., e.d.t., an explosion caused by liquefied natural gas vapors destroyed a transformer building at the reception facility of the Columbia LNG Corporation, Cove Point, Maryland. Odorless liquefied natural gas leaked through an inadequately tightened LNG pump seal, vaporized, passed through approximately 210 ft of underground electrical conduit, and entered the substation building. One person was killed and one person was seriously injured. Damage to the facility was estimated at about $3 million. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was LNG which leaked through an inadequately tightened LNG pump seal, vaporized, and migrated through a 3-in. conduit, into a substation building where the vaporized LNG-air mixture was ignited by the arcing contacts of a circuit breaker interlock. Contributing to the accident was the absence of any combustible gas indicator to detect and warn personnel of the presence of flammable vapors in the building.

• Research Organization: National Transportation Safety Board, Washington, DC (USA). Bureau of Accident Investigation
• OSTI ID: 6834471
• Report Number(s): NTSB-PAR-80-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030500* -- Natural Gas-- Health & Safety
560400 -- Other Environmental Pollutant Effects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACCIDENTS
CENTRAL REGION
DEATH
EMERGENCY PLANS
ENERGY SOURCES
EVALUATION
EXPLOSIONS
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
INJURIES
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
MARYLAND
NATURAL GAS
NORTH AMERICA
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
ODOR
ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES
PIPELINES
PUMPS
SAFETY
TERMINAL FACILITIES
USA