City of Deer Park | An Update on the Deer Park Energy Transfer Pipeline Fire (9:15 AM)
Energy Transfer is actively working to contain and repair a pipeline leak that occurred in the Deer Park area. The company is prioritizing the safety of the community and environment as it implements its emergency response plan.
Initial assessments conducted by local authorities and Energy Transfer revealed a pressure drop at the affected pipeline section. In response, the company immediately shut down the offsite flaring process and initiated procedures to isolate the leak. Crews are currently constructing stopples to secure the pipeline ends.
Pipeline pressure has been stabilized at 0 psi. Energy Transfer has deployed teams to both the north and south ends of the pipeline to expedite the stopple installation process. The company anticipates welding operations to take approximately three hours per side, with the possibility of simultaneous welding.
Once the stopples are in place, Energy Transfer will redirect the flare to a location in front of the stopple. The goal is to create a vacuum at the leak source, which is expected to mitigate the current, minor flame.
Deer Park Police Department and Energy Transfer are collaborating to develop a traffic control plan that will ensure the safety of both the public and workers during the repair process.
Energy Transfer remains committed to providing regular updates on the situation and will continue to work diligently to resolve this incident as quickly and safely as possible.
In relation to power restoration, CenterPoint Energy has restored power to a significant number of homes and businesses and their efforts are ongoing. CenterPoint Energy is advising that everything that can receive power, will have power by today.
Below is Energy Transfer’s full statement from 9:20 AM:
La Porte/Deer Park Incident Update – 9/18 9amAs of 8am this morning the fire continues to safely burn itself out as the flame has diminished overnight. Our air quality monitoring continues to show no impact to air quality. We are in the process of installing specialized pipeline isolation equipment on either side of the damaged area to accelerate the removal and replacement of the damaged components. When the isolation equipment is installed, we will purge the short section with nitrogen, which will extinguish the fire, and begin the repairs. The safest way to manage this process is to let the products burn off. Impacted landowners who have reached out for assistance have been provided lodging at area hotels. This will continue until evacuation orders are lifted. Law enforcement agencies continue to investigate the accident that caused the damage to our pipeline. We are working closely with local authorities to manage the response and are cooperating in the investigation. We thank all the emergency response teams for their ongoing efforts to safely manage the response to this incident. Any impacted homeowner needing assistance can call 855-430-4491 or send an email to [email protected]. You will be asked to provide your name, phone number, address and what assistance you are needing. We will provide updates as new information becomes available.