Explosions on the rise

[Kojima]

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An oil field exploded in Basra Iraq [Iraq Oil Report ; Published September 20, 2011]; Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

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List of comment about gas explosion, in order of posted time; as of 2011-09-01

 

1) SOMERVILLE, Ohio, US; "Investigation continues in house collapse"

2) BAKERSFIELD, Calif. US; "Bakersfield resident hurt in natural gas explosion"

3) Pompton Lakes, NJ, US; "Update: Suspected gas explosion levels home in Pompton Lakes [raw video]"

4) Brantford, Ontario, Canada; "Natural gas explosion levelled Brantford house: fire marshal"

5) Warren, MI, US; "City of Warren Home Explosion Underscores Need for Natural Gas Safety"

6) Castleford, West Yorkshire, UK; "Dramatic footage shows huge gas explosion at Yorkshire home"

7) Warren Park, Harare, Zimbabwe; "2 seriously injured in Warren Park gas explosion"

8) Logan City, south of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia; "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house"

9) Herscher, IL, US; Douglasville, GA, US; "This Week In Natural Gas Leaks and Explosions – Aug. 22, 2011"

10) "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house" [See 8)]

11) Lakeview, MI, US; "Explosion inside Lakeview house causes fire, couple escapes with minor injuries"

12) Newborough, Victoria, Australia; "Gas blast destroys Newborough garage"

13) Cato, Montcalm, MI, US; "Couple escapes house explosion"

14) Glenrock, Converse, WY, US; "Oilfield explosion claims three"

15) St. Augustine, Fla, US; "Gas Station Explosion Site in St. Augustine now 'Stable'"

 

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* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

We'll be seeing an uptick in unusual home and business gas explosions and I'm trying to locate specific ZT on the matter.  Below is a refresher for the many gas related news articles.

http://zetatalk5.com/index/blog0214.htm

SOZT

Fault lines, when adjusting, do not just rip apart one day during a dramatic earthquake. They most often creep. Laying gas lines along or across a fault line is asking for an accident of this sort. Fault lines are also seldom so clearly delineated that one can go a mile in this or that direction and avoid their action. Where a slip-slide fault such as the San Andreas will often leave a clear line on the surface, this is only the surface action, not what occurs in the rock layers on either side which can fracture for a long way to either side during any movement. The gas company, or the age of the pipes, will be faulted but in truth the finger should be pointed in many directions. The public, who insist on living at such a scenic spot, is to blame. Officials, who zoned for housing are to blame. The public utility company, for allowing gas lines in the area, is to blame. But this will change nothing, while man continues to live on the San Andreas, even as it awakens. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/18sp2010.htm

SOZT

The danger from radon gas will not be increased as a result of the pole shift. Radon gas is emitted by rock containing uranium, which is degrading. In normal circumstances, where air can circulate, it is disbursed rapidly as is any methane created by decay of organic material. The danger from these gasses comes from confinement - being trapped in a mine, a basement, or beneath the permafrost. The dangers are well known. For methane, it is explosions. An accumulation of methane gas can be identified by the smell of rotten eggs, or as some have described it, dirty socks or cabbage soup. For radon gas the danger is lung cancer, from the continual exposure to the radioactive air. Radon gas is odorless, and cannot be detected except by specialized equipment not in the hands of the average person.

In that the pole shift, or the Earth changes preceding the pole shift, can fracture rock and release pockets of either gas, survivors should be cautious about huddling in bunkers. You are safer out in the open air, or in a trench you have dug that will allow the pole shift winds to pass over you, but nothing to fall on and crush you. The fact that both methane gas and radon gas can accumulate in the bunkers of the elite is one of the reasons we have stated that they have dug their own graves. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/12mr2011.htm

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

SOZT

Anyone watching the news, for instance the news on the San Bruno explosion in a distribution line close to the San Andreas Fault line, knows that gas in any form is a danger. Oil and gas refineries explode when rigid piping cracks. Oil or gas wells explode when the ground around them moves. And the gas distribution lines running under cities are no exception. They likewise will explode. Gas lines, whether along the street or within a home, are rigid. In some cases automatic shutoff valves can limit the amount of gas available for an explosion by sensing a drop in pressure, but this is always after the fact. The explosion has already occurred. Utilizing gas on a planet prone to earthquakes was a mistake to begin with, but man never thinks of the consequences when striving for modern conveniences. We have advised turning off the gas at the street, though when the street explodes and your neighbor's homes are on fire you are not likely to escape the holocaust. A better alternative is to live in an area where gas is not available, as in your rural safe location where you will be doing a form of camping while gardening. A campfire at night, for cooking and washing and a bit of friendly light before bed. Nothing explosive. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/02oc2010.htm

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

SOZT Answer: It is no accident that the New Madrid fault lies under the Mississippi River near Memphis, as rivers form in lowlands created when land pulls apart, separating the rock fingers and weakening support for the land. Thus, the Ohio River bed also is an indication of where rock fingers will pull apart. Two adjustments in Kentucky, a day apart, are not an accident, but an indication of the speed at which the stretch zone is starting to adjust. Rail lines are frequently an early harbinger of such adjustments, as they run long distances, whereas structures within cities, such as tall buildings, take up relatively little space and have a small footprint. Our warning that imploding cities will be experienced, before the hour of the shift, are in this regard. Be warmed, it will not just be your rail lines and gas and water mains that will shatter and be pulled apart during the stretch. The foundations of your tall buildings will likewise be vulnerable.EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/newsletr/issue008.htm

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[Original post on January 20, 2011]

Original title: Gas explosion kills 1, injures 5 in Philadelphia

 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/19/pennsylvania.gas.explosion/index.h...

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The explosion occurred in Philadelphia's Tacony neighborhood
• The blast killed one utilities worker and injured five other people
• Some of the injuries are serious

(CNN) -- A gas main explosion in Philadelphia Tuesday evening killed one utilities worker and injured five other people, a fire department official said.

Philadelphia Gas Works employees were responding to a gas main break in the city's Tacony neighborhood when the explosion occurred, fire department spokesman Jim Smith said.

"They were trying to control it and found a source of ignition," according to Smith, who said four PGW employees and a firefighter were among the injured. He said some of the gas workers' injuries were serious.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/natural-gas-explosion-philadelphia-...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/caught-on-tape-gas-main-explodes-126...

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Gas leak causes blast in Quetta, 2 injured

Published: October 19, 2011

Two people were present inside the house when the explosion took place.

PESHAWAR: Two people were injured in what seems to be an accidental explosion casued by gas leakage in a house in Quetta, Express 24/7 reported on Wednesday. 

Police say a massive explosion took place in the Killi Badezai area of Quetta after gas accumulated inside a house caused an explosion.

Initial reports say two people were present inside the house when the explosion took place.

Both occupants were injured in the incident and are being treated in hospital.

The explosion spread fear among residents of the area in fear that the blast may be the work of terrorists.

The blast destroyed the house and shattered window-panes of nearby buildings.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/277223/gas-leak-causes-blast-in-quetta-...

[Kojima]

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on September 13, 2011

Pipeline explosion in Kenya kills at least 75 people, injures more than 100

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Overview of gas pipeline explosion: Mukuru-Sinai slums of Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.unitar.org/unosat/node/44/1592

ANALYSIS SUMMARY: This analysis is based on an assessment of satellite imagery recorded on 22nd September 2011 following a gas pipeline explosion that took place on 12th September 2011, within the Mukuru-Sinai slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Analysis revealed that the explosion took place in the highly congested Mukuru-Sinai slums along the river Ngongo. This is a preliminary damage assessment, and it is likely to represent a reliable minimum estimate; the actual building damages within this area are likely to be larger.

 Satellite Data (2): WV02/QB02 

Imagery Dates: 20/11/2010, 22/09/2011 

Resolution : 0.5 m/0.6 m 

Copyright:DigitalGlobe 2011 

Source: FirstLook 

Analysis : UNITAR / UNOSAT 

Production: UNITAR / UNOSAT 

Analysis conducted with ArcGIS v10.0 

Projection: UTM Zone 37 N

[Starr DiGiacomo]

October 13, 2011

Manhole explosion causes gas, power outages in Kingsbridge

An early-morning cable fire caused a small manhole explosion just feet away from the 50th Precinct and left much of Kingsbridge Avenue between West 236th and West 238th streets without power for more than 12 hours.

Power was restored around 2 p.m. but through-traffic is still blocked off.

A Con Edison employee at the scene said at 1:41 a.m. this morning, a shorted feeder cable caused an explosion, which burst through a manhole.

The Five-O is unaffected but residents of 3605 Kingsbridge Ave. and 11 businesses on the block, including the Riverdale Diner, Domino’s Pizza and T and Y Wines and Spirits, have no power or gas.

While the two eateries are closed, a clerk at T and Y Wines and Spirits said the store will continue to operate until it gets dark.

A Con Ed representative said electricity will likely be restored by the end of the day, but did not comment on when gas service will return. Chris Marche, who lives at 3605 Kingsbridge Ave., said he was told there would be no gas for at least two days but added that mild temperatures should make the situation bearable.

Mike Berry, a Kingsbridge resident who witnessed the explosion from down the block, said flames were shooting out of the ground.

“The lights on the car wash started flickering, then the bulbs on the diner started flickering … and then down the block, just past the intersection, boom. It had green and blue and red sparks and everything coming out,” Mr. Berry said. “Literally, within three minutes, you had six, maybe seven, FDNY [trucks].”

http://riverdalepress.com/stories/Manhole-explosion-causes-gas-powe...

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.hazardexonthenet.net/article/45592/Refinery-explosion-ca...

Refinery explosion caused by fuel leak

12 October 2011

An explosion and fire at a crude oil refinery in the central Canadian province of Saskatchewan has injured 10 people. Eight were taken to hospital to be treated for burns, whilst two were treated at the site.

At the time of the explosion at Consumers' Co-operative Refineries Ltd. (CCRL), located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, between 400 and 450 refinery employees and around 1,000 contractors were working in the area.

An unnamed foreman for Chemco electrical contractors, who had 250 employees on site, described the incident. "The explosion went up about 250 feet in the air - it was a huge fireball. I notified everybody by radio that there was a big explosion on the unit Your biggest fear is that you won't get everybody out safely."

Cameron Keller, an insulator with Fulleraustin, a subcontractor for CCRL, was working near the site of the explosion when he heard popping sounds. "It sounded like a cap popping off a beer bottle and then all of a sudden there was tons of black smoke and big waves of fire going straight up. The alarms went off and we all ran out. We were two plants away and we didn't feel the heat, but we had some guys in Unit 11 and they felt the heat right above them."

CCRL is in the middle of a $1.9-billion expansion project, the biggest project in the refinery's history and what is believed to be the largest-ever project in Regina. The expansion will increase the refinery's capacity from 100,000 barrels a day to 130,000 when it is completed in 2012. It is expected that capacity could be further increased by 15,000 barrels per day by 2016.

However, the explosion occurred in an older area of the refinery, which is being revamped. Gilbert Le Dressay, the refinery's manager of safety, environment and training and the incident commander, commented: "This is an area where we're replacing equipment, but this equipment is still monitored and repaired as normal.” Le Dressay added that gas detection monitors in the affected area prompted the alarm system, meaning that personnel were immediately evacuated.

It is understood that the explosion occurred in a unit that was involved in processing diesel fuel. A leak in a high-pressure pipe carrying diesel and hydrogen caused the release of diesel fuel and hydrogen gas, which ignited.

Investigators are still looking into the biggest explosion and fire at the plant since August 1990.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/students+evacuated+from+northwest...

1,400 students evacuated from northwest school after gas line ruptured

 

A gas leak across the street from the Queen Elizabeth elementary, junior and high schools forced the evacuation of the buildings, sending 1,400 students out of the schools.

Contractors working for ATCO Gas ruptured a three-inch line at a home construction site on 18th Street N.W. across the street from the main entrance to the high school around 11 a.m. The workers called 911.

With so many students nearby, fire department spokesman Brian McAsey said the schools were evacuated as a precaution.

“Whenever you have natural gas, there’s always the danger that there could be an ignition and that could result in a fire or an explosion,” said McAsey.

“In this case there was no ignition, it’s very rare that there is so, but we wanted to make sure it was safe.”

Students walked to the nearby West Hillhurst community centre.

“All of the parents were contacted and were instructed to pick up their children or to make alternate arrangements,” said Calgary Board of Education spokeswoman Joanne Ramondt.

She said the evacuation went off without problems.

“It appeared to have gone well,” she said.

“There’s always an evacuation plan for situations like this.”

The fire department said the area was properly marked and the proper procedures were followed and the leak seemed to be caused by human error.

ATCO Gas is looking into the cause of the leak.

“We’re not exactly sure how or why that all happened, that part’s under investigation,” said Graeme Seltham, vice-president Calgary region operations.

“While it seems extreme, I think there was as many as 1,400 kids and teachers that had to leave the school, in our opinion that’s emergency services doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. Relatively speaking, it was a low-risk event . . . it took us about an hour to get the gas (turned) off,” he said.

Eleven homes were also affected, he said. Homes within a two-block radius were also evacuated and residents could not return until after 1 p.m. when the streets were reopened to the public.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

News analysis: Oil industry frets over sinkhole controversy

Mon October 3, 2011 

Oct. 03--Anxiety swept over Kern County's oil industry on the first day of summer as news spread that an oilfield worker was killed after falling into a sinkhole filled with steam and boiling hot fluids.

Little has been done to ease this anxiety since that tragic accident at the prolific Midway-Sunset oil field west of Taft. If anything, the implications have become more ominous as the industry grapples with safety concerns, an open-ended legal threat and continuing investigation by a powerful state agency that has not been shy about shutting down local oil production. By all accounts, a sinkhole like this had never been seen before in Kern's oil fields.

Some consensus has emerged as to what may have caused it, and Chevron (CVX) has acted swiftly to cordon off or plug oil wells associated with the kind of seepage observed in the area before and after the June 21 death of Robert David Taylor, a 54-year-old construction supervisor, father of two and grandfather of four.

But the local industry as a whole is reluctant to abandon the particular method of steam injection that regulators suspect contributed to the sinkhole's formation. At Midway-Sunset and other oil fields

county, high-pressure steam injection has brought new life to aging fields that no longer respond to more traditional production technologies.

Bakersfield oil executive Steve Layton said any move to curtail such injections would jeopardize the industry's ability to exploit vast oil reservoirs under Midway-Sunset.

"It would really be a significant blow to anyone whose projects were under assault by (state regulators) because of what happened," said Layton, president of Bakersfield-based oil producer E&B Natural Resources Management Corp., which does not have high-pressure steaming operations at Midway-Sunset.

"But that being said, I know that folks that have those projects -- the Chevrons, PXPs and the Berry (Petroleum)s of the world -- are all very concerned about safety and want to operate in the safest and most effective manner possible."

If there is any positive news, it is that the particular oil well next to the fatal sinkhole had a history of problems that suggest it may be a unique case. As Chevron has pointed out, it is deeper and older than most wells in the area and it appears to have been sheared by seismic activity, which could account for why the company has been unable to cap the well despite three attempts costing more than $2 million.

At the same time, Chevron has not injected steam into that well in almost three years, which could suggest that seeping and even erupting wells, or "volcanoes" -- not common but not exactly rare in Kern County -- may be harder to isolate than state regulators suspected.   Story continues

http://seekingalpha.com/news-article/1953058-news-analysis-oil-indu...

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Gas explosion kills eight in western Kazakhstan

11 Oct 2011 14:53

Source: reuters // Reuters

 

ALMATY, Oct 11 (Reuters) - A powerful gas explosion at an oil pumping station killed eight workers in western Kazakhstan on Tuesday, the Central Asian nation's Emergencies Ministry reported.

The blast in the Caspian Sea port city of Aktau was caused by a gas leak after safety rules were broken, the ministry said on its website. (www.emer.kz)

Kazakhstan's state oil transportation company KazTransOil could not be immediately reached for comment.

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/gas-explosion-kills-eight-in-wes...

[Starr DiGiacomo]

GAS EXPLOSION KILLS 3 IN DG KHAN

Two other workers also received injuries and burns, however, no deaths have been reported so far.

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Three people were injured in an explosion at the regional office of Fauji Fertilizer Company in the Model Town area of Dera Ghazi Khan, Express 24/7 reported Tuesday.

The explosion was caused by accumulation of gas due to a leakage in the supply channel.

The explosion caused extensive damage to the office and adjacent buildings – including a school and Watan Card Centre.

One person was reported to have received severe injuries, two other workers also received injuries and burns, however, no deaths have been reported so far.

The incident was confirmed by a company representative

http://tribune.com.pk/story/271614/gas-explosion-injures-3-in-dg-khan/

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Man killed in suspected gas explosion

Emergency services gather outside the boarding kennel. Picture: Lincoln Baker

 

UPDATE 5.40pm: A middle-age man has been killed by a suspected explosion at a property in Perth's northern suburbs.

Firefighters discovered the man's body after extinguishing a fire in a shed at the Adams Road property in Mariginiup, east of Joondalup.

Police said the arson squad was investigating the possibility a gas cylinder exploded.

Firefighters and St John Ambulance were called to the property, which operates as Lake Adams Boarding Kennel and Cattery, shortly before 4pm.

It is understood the explosion occurred in a 10sq m shed, where the deceased man was welding metal on a car.

A female animal handler heard a loud explosion at about 3.45pm and ran outside to find the shed in flames with the sides and roof blown off.

Two cars were destroyed in the blaze.

A 200m exclusion zone has been set up around the scene.

Picture: 7 News

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/mp/10446658/man-killed-in-susp...

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/gas-drilling/high-methane-level-recorded-in-dimock-water-well-1.1215258#axzz1aE7Hsw9d

High methane level recorded in Dimock water well

This is not looking good.  Interesting article

A water testing firm contracted by Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. found explosive levels of methane in a vented Dimock Twp. water well last month during routine screening of more than a dozen water wells where methane contamination has been linked to natural gas drilling.

The concentration of methane in the open space above the water in the Sautner family well exceeded the lower explosive limit, the point when the mixture of methane in air becomes an explosion hazard, according to test results sent from a Cabot compliance manager to the Department of Environmental Protection on Sept. 16.

State regulators have determined that faulty Cabot natural gas wells allowed methane to seep into 18 water supplies in an area around Carter Road in Dimock, including the Sautner well. The gas levels in the wells continue to be monitored every two weeks as part of a consent order reached between DEP and Cabot in December.

Cabot denies its operations caused the elevated methane levels, which it claims are naturally occurring. It has provided treatment systems or temporary replacement water supplies to the affected homes.

Cabot spokesman George Stark said the methane level in the Sautner water well has declined since the September test and routine screening has shown the increase was not sustained before or after the test.

"It's an anomaly that could be impacted by seasonal or weather-related effects," he said.

Gas migration underground is affected by changes in barometric pressure, temperature and precipitation, according to the DEP.

DEP spokeswoman Freda Tarbell said Friday she could not characterize if the test results were a spike or part of a trend.

Asked if the department considers the methane level a cause for concern, Ms. Tarbell said, "I really can't go there."

Five of the 18 monitored water wells currently have levels of methane dissolved in the water above the standard set by the department in the consent order, Ms. Tarbell said. The department standard is 7 milligrams per liter and the five wells have dissolved methane levels of between 8.6 and 31.9 milligrams per liter, she said.

It is unclear what effect, if any, the test results will have on Cabot's efforts to resume operations in a 9-square-mile area of Dimock that state regulators placed off limits to the company in April 2010 because of the methane contamination.

Cabot is expected to submit a report to the department on Monday, Oct. 17, explaining the steps it has taken to comply with the terms of the consent order.

"The department is going to make a decision based on what the department sees," Ms. Tarbell said.

She pointed out that "the combustible free gas was a major issue" guiding the consent order when it was first developed.

Craig Sautner, the owner of the water well, said he is worried about the "awfully high" methane level. He and other Dimock landowners are currently suing Cabot.

"My main concern right now is it's highly explosive and that's definitely not in compliance," he said.