Dublin Shell to Sea

Why is Shell’s experimental pipeline in Mayo so dangerous?

When the inland gas refinery near Rossport was proposed in the late 1990s, many local people welcomed the project. But when they did some research, they quickly became extremely concerned. They discovered this was an experimental project; nothing like it had been tried anywhere in the world.

Raw, unprocessed gas would be carried at extremely high pressure, directly from under the sea-bed, through a pipeline in an unstable bog where landslides are common. The proposed pipeline for Rossport is nothing like the gas pipelines people live close to in other parts of Ireland:
• the pressure would be 144 bar, and possibly higher, compared to a maximum 5 bar in a domestic pipeline;
• the gas would still contain chemical impurities that corrode pipes and are highly explosive – these are removed at the refinery;
• it would not contain the odour that alerts residents to a leak – this is added at the refinery.

At the Bord Pleanála hearing in June 2009 into this onshore pipeline route, Shell consultants admitted that, in the event of a leak, “houses within 230 metres of the pipeline could burn spontaneously from heat radiation” and that “houses within 171m would be at risk if the gas pressure was at 144 bar” (Irish Times, 04/06/09), the reduced pressure level Shell was forced to retreat to by earlier protests. There are about 33 houses within this “kill zone”. Also, the pipeline would pass just 1.4 metres below fields and roads.

Waste water from the refinery would flow into Carrowmore Lake, the source of drinking water for 10,000 people in Erris.

Since 2000, local people have been demanding that the gas is processed at sea, before it reaches residential areas, as is standard practice worldwide. They have never objected to gas being piped ashore in the normal way.

The above text comes from the Dublin Shell to Sea 'All the facts' leaflet.  If you'd like copies of that leaflet to distribute contact us at [email protected] or at  086-7362417

In detail

The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey, commissioned a company to produce what was called an "Independent Safety Review" of the pipeline. After the company produced its report, it emerged that it was jointly owned by Shell and British Petroleum. Dempsey denied the report was compromised but agreed to commission another. The second review was strongly criticised by those opposed to the project for failing to consider alternatives to refining the gas onshore. Another company, Accufacts Inc., also produced a report on the pipeline for the Centre for Public Inquiry, it was highly critical of the current plans for the pipeline, and skeptical of the assurances given. It said:

"It should be fairly obvious by now that past information on this project has been less than complete. Much of this information appears to be of a propaganda nature intended to spin public relations to an ill informed or misinformed public or government. In today’s information age this is a tactic fraught with risks as the deceptions are uncovered. Regarding the proposed onshore pipeline route, serious challenges should be raised as to any risk analysis that fails to adequately address the issues raised by the production pipeline, as the thermal impact zones for this very unique high pressure pipeline are quite large with a high probability of mortality..."

"If the Gas Processing Plant site location were to remain as proposed, we advise a reroute of the proposed pipeline incorporating safety buffer zones of 200 metres for dwellings and at least 400 metres for unsheltered individuals."

"Placement of a Gas Process Plant on a shallow offshore platform would substantially reduce production pipeline rupture impact zones associated with specific pipeline design modifications. A transmission pipeline from such an offshore facility could be operated at lower pressures, move much higher quality gas, and permit appropriate cleaning and smart pigging programs that would reduce the potential impact zone associated with a gas transmission pipeline failure."

Other experts have also cast doubt on Advantica's claims. Some contend that the safety zone around the pipeline should be at least 500 metres (the norm in the United States) from any dwellings. With the midified route houses are 140m from the pipeline. In Scotland, which has a long history of regulating refineries, it is unheard of that a refinery should be built within the catchment area of a drinking water supply, as Shell intends for Bellanabo.

The Irish Times reported on 4th June 2009 that the An Bord Pleanála hearing had been told that

"SHELL EP Ireland consultants have conceded that safe shelter in the event of a rupture and explosion has not yet been identified for residents living close to the proposed Corrib gas onshore pipeline.
The consultants also told the An Bord Pleanála oral hearing in north Mayo yesterday that houses within 230 metres of the pipeline could “burn spontaneously” from heat radiation if gas in the pipe was at full pressure.
..
Residents would have just 30 seconds to escape from thermal radiation if gas within the pipe was at full pressure, the team acknowledged in response to Mr Wright’s examination.
Houses within 171m would be at risk if the gas pressure was at 144 bar – the pressure level agreed by the developers after a State-commissioned safety review – the Shell team admitted when it was put to them in questions.
Both 171m and 230m are greater than the minimum separation distance of 140m from houses allowed for in the pipeline route, Mr Wright observed."

This partial list of pipeline explosions taken from Wikipedia in October 2009 demonstrates that failures regularly occur even in non experimental pipelines and that many people have died as the result of such failures

Belgium

• 2004: A major natural gas pipeline exploded in Ghislenghien, Belgium near Ath (thirty kilometres southwest of Brussels), killing at least 23 people and leaving 122 wounded, some critically on July 30, 2004.

Nigeria

• 1998: At Jesse, Nigeria in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, a petroleum pipeline exploded killing about 1200 villagers, some of whom were scavenging gasoline. The worst of several similar incidents in this country.^[1] (October 17, 1998)
• 2000: Another pipeline explosion near the town of Jesse killed about 250 villagers.^[1] (July 10, 2000)
• 2000: At least 100 villagers died when a ruptured pipeline exploded in Warri.^[1] (July 16, 2000)
• 2000: A leaking pipeline caught fire near the fishing village of Ebute near Lagos, killing at least 60 people.^[1] (November 30, 2000)
• 2003: A pipeline punctured by thieves exploded and killed 125 villagers near Umuahia, Abia State.^[1] (June 19, 2003)
• 2004: A pipeline punctured by thieves exploded and killed dozens of people in Lagos State.^[1] (September 17, 2004)
• 2006: An oil pipeline punctured by thieves exploded and killed 150 people at the Atlas Creek Island in Lagos State.^[2] (May 12, 2006)
• 2006: A vandalised oil pipeline exploded in Lagos, Nigeria. Up to 500 people may have been killed.^[3] (December 26, 2006)
• 2008: 2008 Ijegun pipeline explosion (May 16)

Russia

• 1989: Sparks from two passing trains detonated gas leaking from an LPG pipeline near Ufa, Russia. Up to 645 people were reported killed on June 4, 1989.

United States

• 1965: Gas Transmission Pipeline, north of Natchitoches, Louisiana. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company explodes from stress corrosion cracking, killing 17 people. This accident lead to then President Lyndon B. Johnson to call for the formation of a national pipeline safety agency. (March 4, 1965)
• 1968: Ruptured LPG Pipeline. Near Yutan, Nebraska. Repair crews responded to a pipeline rupture, thought vapors were dispersed, but ignited a vapor cloud by driving into it. 5 Repairmen were killed. (December 5, 1968)
• 1969: Low Pressure Natural Gas Distribution System, Gary, Indiana. (June 3, 1969)
• 1969: High Pressure Natural Gas Pipeline. A 14 inch natural gas pipeline running at 789 psi near Houston, Texas ruptures, causing a massive fire. Construction work downstream of the accident lead to a pressure build up that caused the rupture. September 9, 1969.
• 1970: Colonial Pipeline Company, Petroleum Products Pipeline, Jacksonville, Maryland, (September 3, 1970.
• 1970: Port Hudson Propane Gas Pipeline rupture. Phillips Pipeline Company propane gas explosion, Franklin County, Missouri. Leak lead to propane cloud explosion with a force of several tons of TNT. (December 9, 1970)
• 1972: Rupture of Propane Pipeline, near Butler, Alabama. A road grader in use hit a high pressure propane pipeline. A while after the line was ruptured, a car drove into the vapor cloud, igniting it, and killing 4 people. (June 20, 1972)
• 1973: Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline rupture. Austin, Texas A Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) pipeline ruptured due to an improper weld. 6 people killed. (February 22, 1973)
• 1975: Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline rupture. An NGL pipeline ruptured due to previous mechanical damage at Devers, Texas. 4 killed in vapor cloud fire. (May 12, 1975)
• 1975: LPG pipeline rupture. An LPG pipeline ruptured near Romulus, Michigan, due to previous mechanical damage to the pipeline and over pressurization from operator error at a storage facility. 9 people were injured in the vapor cloud fire. (August 2, 1975)
• 1976 LPG pipeline rupture. An LPG pipeline ruptured near Whitharral , Texas, leading to vapor cloud fire that killed 5 and destroyed 2 homes. Electrical Resistance Weld (ERW) failure is suspected for the failure. (February 25, 1976)
• 1976 Petroleum products pipeline. A front loader hit an 8 inch petroleum products pipeline in Los Angeles, California during a road widening project along Venice Boulevard. 9 were killed, and serious property damage occurred.(June 16, 1976)
• 1976 Natural gas pipeline rupture. A road grader hit a 20 inch gas transmission pipeline near Cartwright, Louisiana. 6 killed in the following fire. (August 9, 1976)
• 1977 LPG pipeline rupture. A LPG pipeline ruptured near Ruff Creek, Pennsylvania from stress corrosion cracking. The resulting propane vapor cloud ignited when a truck driven into the cloud stalled, then created a spark when it was restarted. (July 20, 1977)
• 1978 LPG pipeline rupture and fire. An LPG pipeline at Donnellson, Iowa ruptured from past mechanical damage and improper lowering for road improvements. The vapor cloud ignited several minutes after the rupture. 3 people were killed. (August 4, 1978)
• 1979 Natural gas pipeline rupture. An anchor handling boat, PETE TIDE II, damages an unmarked gas pipeline with a grappling hook offshore from New Orleans, Louisiana. A fire followed, and the 2 of the crew were missing & presumed dead. (July 15, 1979)
• 1986 Petroleum products pipeline rupture at Mounds View, Minnesota. Gasoline at 1,434 psi sprayed a residential area around 4:20 am local time, then ignited. 2 were killed, and many homes damaged or destroyed. Confusion by the pipeline company lead to a delay in shutting down the pipeline. ERW failure caused the rupture. (July 8, 1986)
• 1989 Petroleum products pipeline failure after the San Bernardino train disaster, California. Damage from derailment cleanup caused petroleum products pipelines to rupture, spraying homes with gasoline. 3 killed in following fire.
• 1989 New York City Con Edison Steam Pipe explosion, rupture 3 are killed in the 3rd ave- Grammercy Park area.
• 1990 Propane pipeline rupture and fire, North Blenheim, New York, March 13, 1990. Stress from work done on pipeline causes rupture, vapor cloud moved downhill into a town. 2 killed when the cloud ignited.
• 1994 Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion and Fire Previous damage cause a natural gas transmission pipeline to rupture at Edison, New Jersey on March 23, 1994.
• 1996 Butane Pipeline rupture and fire, near Lively, Texas, August 24, 1996. 2 killed after driving into an unseen butane cloud. Leak was caused by external corrosion.
• 1997 Pipeline Rupture and Fire, Indianapolis, Indiana, July 21, 1997.
• 1998 Natural Gas Explosion and Fire, South Riding, Virginia, July 7, 1998.
• 1998 Natural Gas Pipeline Rupture and Subsequent Explosion, St. Cloud, Minnesota, December 11, 1998.
• 1999 Natural Gas Explosion and Fire at a gas pressure station, Wytheville, Virginia, destroying a home and motorcycle store.^[4] (January 3, 1999)
• 1999 Natural Gas Service Line and Rupture and Subsequent Explosion and Fire, Bridgeport, Alabama, January 22, 1999
• 1999 A pipeline in a Bellingham, Washington park leaked gasoline, vapor from leak exploded and killed 2 children and an 18 year old man on June 10, 1999.
• 2000 Hazardous Liquid Pipe Failure and Leak, Explorer Pipeline Company, Greenville, Texas, March 9, 2000.
• 2000 Natural Gas Pipeline Rupture and Fire Near Carlsbad, New Mexico This Explosion Killed 12 Members Of The Same Family. Cause was due to severe internal corrosion of the pipeline. (August 19, 2000)
• 2000 Rupture of Piney Point Oil Pipeline and Release of Fuel Oil Near Chalk Point, Maryland, April 7, 2000.
• 2002 Rupture of Enbridge Pipeline and Release of Crude Oil near Cohasset, Minnesota, July 4, 2002.
• 2003 Excavation Damage to Natural Gas Distribution Line Resulting in Explosion and Fire, Wilmington, Delaware, July 2, 2003.
• 2007 2007 New York City steam explosion, on July 18, 2007
• 2007 Propane pipeline explodes, killing two and injuring five others near Carmichael, AL on November 1, 2007.
• 2008 Natural gas pipeline explodes and catches fire on February 5, near Hartsville, TN Believed to have been caused by a tornado hitting the facility.

2009 natural gas pipeline explodes and catches fire on May 5, 2009 near Rockville, IN in parke county about 24 miles north of Terre haute, IN as of right now no information has been released about what caused the explosion. pictures have been released aroung the area showing the damage caused. homes were exacuated in a one-mile area of the explosion no injuries reported.

References