Energy Transfer Natural Gas Pipeline Ruptures in Missouri

SEATTLE (Oil Monster):  A rupture and fire on a Missouri natural gas pipeline early Sunday caused “no known loss of life or serious injury,” according to a Sunday morning Facebook post from the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office.

The cause of fire, which interrupted power to several homes, was unknown, according to a KMIZ television report, citing a spokeswoman for Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company LP. The company wasn’t working on the pipeline before the explosion, the report said.

The fire lit up the early-morning sky on Sunday, the sheriff’s office said, but once the supply was cut off, it burned off the remaining gas and was extinguished after about 40 minutes. The pipeline ruptured north of Mexico, Missouri, about 120 miles (193 km) from St. Louis.

Both Panhandle and its owner, Energy Transfer, had what the KMIZ report described as “a history of regulatory issues,” mentioning other news accounts and filings with U.S. agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Courtesy: www.bloomberg.com