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Fire in the sky in Delaware result of Columbia gas-line inspection
That fireball you may have seen on your commute is not a sign of the apocalypse.
Actually, it’s a good thing.
Columbia Gas of Ohio has set up a controlled flare of a gas line in the city of Delaware, part of a larger project to clean and inspect the line.
While the flare is the To see a video of the flare, visit
visible part, most of the work is taking place underground with devices called pipeline inspection gauges, known in the gas industry by their acronym — “pigs.”
The gauges, which are 2 feet wide and up to 12 feet long, are pulled through the pipe by the suction that results from the gas rushing toward the flare.
“We control the speed of that pig by that flare,” said Sam Schafer, director of system operations for Columbia.
The devices travel the 31-mile length of the pipe, which starts in New Albany, runs under Lewis Center and turns north to Delaware.
People who drive or walk past the flare near Pittsburgh Drive can feel the heat and hear a steady roar, even from hundreds of yards away. A Columbia crew is on site to monitor the burn. The flames spew from the top of a 65-foot pole that is connected to the gas line.
The Delaware project started about a week ago. It will continue, along with that fireball, for at least a week more.
Columbia has tried to get the word out in Delaware that the fireball is no cause for concern, but there still have been calls to the fire department, said Kelli Nowinsky, a Columbia spokeswoman.
Schafer said the project involves three kinds of “pigs” that go through the line. The first one cleans the line by brushing against the interior surface and removing dirt, rocks or anything else that shouldn’t be there. The second one has sensors that map the line and provide a basic report on structural integrity. The third one is the most sophisticated and costs about $1 million. Its sensors perform an in-depth scan of structural issues.
If the machines detect a problem, the next steps depend on the severity. For minor issues, Columbia has a year to make repairs. If there is an immediate danger, the company would dig down to the affected area and replace the damaged section of pipe as soon as possible, Schafer said.
The current project is the first time Columbia has done an analysis this detailed of a line in Ohio.
Relatively new federal safety standards say that companies must do this type of inspection every seven years.
Also, the rules say that newly built pipelines must be able to accommodate the gauges. The regulations were inspired in part by reports that large parts of the country’s gas line infrastructure were old and not adequately monitored.
The Delaware-area line is relatively new, built in the 2000s, with a design whose gradual turns make it “piggable.” And yes, piggable is a term that appears in federal rules.
Older lines are more likely to have sudden turns, which do not allow the gauges to pass through. In those situations, companies have other methods for performing inspections.