Pipeline Fire near Houston, TX 6

[StressGuy]

This was quite the hot topic for those of us in the Houston area yesterday:

La Porte Pipeline Explosion

It ended up being a case of an out of control car from the adjacent Wal-Mart parking lot drove into the right-of-way, crashed through the enclosure fence, and broke the line.

It made for an impressive sight. ABC News Video Story

I'm sure the pipeline companies are going to reevaluate how they secure these valve stations near populated areas. While street view shows that the right-of-way was pretty well protected by bollards and heavy fencing from the adjacent Spencer Highway, there really wasn't anything similar along the shopping center parking lot side.



Edward L. Klein
Pipe Stress Engineer
Houston, Texas

"All the world is a Spring"

All opinions expressed here are my own and not my company's.

 

[LittleInch]

Hmmm, interesting - I think that's actually an NGL - line - condensate or possibly propane / butane hence why its so yellow.

The walmart site is 70m away and has a field between the two.

This is the same strip and I would hardly call this well protected by bollards.... There are a lot of pipeline markers, but they are flimsy and not protective.

Even so I think that would not come up as a risk where it was.

I'm pretty sure its the blue valve which has got knocked off and you can see the field between it and walmart.

Still pretty impressive "tower of fire".

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[1503-44]

https://youtu.be/tnev2YtJ608?si=0KheUkQqa7yqC4xN

Bet they put in proper vehicle guardrails this time.
I don't see any adjacent Walmart parking lot!

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[LittleInch]

It's the other side of the next field!

It would be getting into the very unlikely risk level....

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[1503-44]

Yes. Very extremely unlikely.
And yet here we are.
Almost like it is not an accident.
I wonder what else may be discovered.
Probability says there is something still unknown about this.
It's just too weird.
But then again, this seems to be the year for weird.

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[StressGuy]

The wild thing to me is that even this afternoon, nothing about the driver has been released. I would assume she was killed when her car got blown off after colliding with the valve. She certainly couldn't have survived the heat when the fire kicked off.

Edward L. Klein
Pipe Stress Engineer
Houston, Texas

"All the world is a Spring"

All opinions expressed here are my own and not my company's.

 

[3DDave]

There probably isn't enough verifiable information to identify the driver. Looking at how far from car the power poles are that are smoldering from the radiant heat, I'd say no one wants to get close enough to read the remaining license plate.

 

[DanKile]

It ended up being a case of an out of control car from the adjacent Wal-Mart parking lot drove into the right-of-way, crashed through the enclosure fence, and broke the line.

How? The fence closest to walmart is untouched. The damaged fence section is the south west corner.

 

[LittleInch]

It is quite remarkable how when there is nothing else to hit for miles around, vehicles still manage to hit the only solid object as though they have a tractor beam.

One time in Algeria I was route finding in a desert and somehow my driver ran into the only bush in about 10km and got stuck. This bush also appeared to be the home for every fly that ever existed as well and they were not happy....

This poor individual also seems to have managed to run into a high pressure LPG or NGL line, but there might have been some collateral damage here as the are a lot of lines in that corridor plus HV lines to add some ignition probability.

Some more information would be good.


Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[LittleInch]

Sounds like it accelerated across the empty bit, hit a bump or berm, took off, jumped the fence and landed on the valve before stopping whet it is now. I suspect the driver didn't make it.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[Oops409]

Sounds like it accelerated across the empty bit, hit a bump or berm, took off, jumped the fence and landed on the valve before stopping whet it is now

 

[3DDave]

I think the pressure from the escaping gas flipped the car back along the original path to where it is now. This is an older photo; I don't see the temporary roadway lumber in the current fire photos. In this case it was a path from lower left to upper right, heading approx NNE.

 

[Oops409]

I think the pressure from the escaping gas flipped the car back along the original path to where it is now. This is an older photo; I don't see the temporary roadway lumber in the current fire photos. In this case it was a path from lower left to upper right, heading approx NNE.

That is my thoughts as well. It is logical that impact sent car back from where it came..... ? However, see last photo indicating perhaps it did take out fence post from WalMart Direction?

Oops, update image....

However, this image looks like a fence post has been taken out and is laying on the ground in direction of travel from WalMart?

 

[1503-44]

Muskrat is happy that this time it was not a Tesla.

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[dik]

and no lithium batteries, involved.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[3DDave]

Video of the crash: just straight drive through from the Walmart side.

https://youtu.be/tefJS1zOhpI?t=61

 

[1503-44]

Quite fast. Did they say 65 mph?
Apparently the driver has not been extracted from the car.

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Wonder what the instantaneous g was in the car going up?

 

[LittleInch]

Anyone know what's in that line and how big it is? The marker seemed to say NGL, which could be anything, but the fact it keeps burning it looks like LPG butane, propane etc mix to me.

If they find anything in that wreck from the driver I would be amazed, that burn radius is extensive and 5m from it anything non metallic will just have been incinerated unfortunately.

Ooops 409 - this is the opposite angel view. The white building is Walmart. It would seem feasible if the person had an attack of some sort or the old accelerator / brake confusion and just gunned it at the bottom road they could go through the small fence and then head straight for the pipeline valves.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[StressGuy]

Wow, that video of the crash is impressive. The eye witness report from earlier suggest the driver had some kind of medical incident and ended up flooring the accelerator. It was definitely moving fast in that video clip.

Edward L. Klein
Pipe Stress Engineer
Houston, Texas

"All the world is a Spring"

All opinions expressed here are my own and not my company's.