el paso articles today ngi note following 3 articles deal 3 different issues lst marketing related 2 nd operations marketing related 3 rd legislative regulatory related el paso explosion takes 500 mmcf market 1 bcf flow el paso south mainline downstream pecos river nm station ceased pipeline exploded early saturday killing 10 people seriously injuring two others nearby campsite el paso said monday able compensate half volume combination fuel switching downstream customers maximum storage withdrawals ofo customer cooperation market reaction rather predictable three california points rose 35 cents lead overall price surge however utilities state appear experiencing supply problems socal gas said storage supplies southwest receipt points adequate avoid problems gas operations official los angeles dept water power also saw reason panic past similar incidents southwest pipelines expected approximately 80 feet long section missing el paso line could slapped back place rather quickly el paso estimate restore service impacted segment must get approval rom federal investigators beginning repairs evaluating restart adjacent lines large aggregator marketer agreed ladwp official quick mechanical fix repairs begin aggregator believed downtime could short week customers cut result rupture getting reduced volumes el paso spokeswoman said northern natural gas seeing throughput increase 200 300 mmcf monday transwestern volumes 50 75 mmcf result shippers diverting gas away el paso south mainline enron spokeswoman said producer said diverted much company gas possible el paso transwestern people reluctant trade permian basin gas monday especially fixed prices doubts much would able flow several sources said permian numbers rose little less 18 cents part general upturn however waha prices saw bigger increase nearly 30 cents result everything el paso permian keystone pool going back waha said marketer putting waha mid 4 60 premium nickel henry hub southern california border average nearly 5 30 led rest monday market large margin trading began enrononline offering border swing swaps rest month 5 85 95 marketer said swing swaps priced high gave sellers confidence prices could command day market said either way want short right border lots rumors facts available caused el paso rupture noted one aggregator good thing happen california cooled otherwise could easily seen border basis spread san juan basin go high 2 50 instead approximate gap 1 70 egistered monday daily gpi knowledgeable source provided analyis blast structure crater made rupture look like line integrity problem way blew earth harbor leaking gas eventually everything goes people nearby would detected anything gas odorless long haul lines mercaptan odorant added gets local distribution stage pipeline safety surveyors usually look dead vegetation vicinity detect leak desert area little vegetation easily possible escaping gas hug ground approximate 500 foot distance victims campsite seek ignition source normal tendency gas leaking atmosphere stay close ground tendency would amplied chilliness pre dawn desert source went say think lot ruptures future many pipes becoming least 40 50 years old el paso unlucky experiencing one early incidents said situation applies lines old pipe pipelines used spend lot money maintenance regulation tighter still paying depreciation said purely profit companies written depreciation costs many times el paso blast kills 10 shuts south mainline federal company investigators monday swarmed scene devastating el paso natural gas mainline explosion erupted near daybreak saturday engulfing party weekend campers along pecos river near carlsbad nm killing 10 people two persons hospitalized critical condition three officials federal office pipeline safety ops 11 national transportation safety board ntsb site blast since late saturday two ops officials en route monday new mexico gov gary johnson flew area sunday said wanted know many potential pipeline dangers state called thorough investigation 1 bcf capacity el paso southern leg initially lost ruptured 30 inch line two looped lines nearby shut accident el paso making shortfall drawing maximum 200 mmcf washington ranch storage field downstream accident increased use pipelines allocations cutbacks customers fact weather moderated california helped ease supply situation nevertheless spot prices increased 35 cents points california rest market spurred hurricane debby went 20 cents estimate looped lines would back service according el paso spokesperson kim wallace intend put anything back service know certain remaining pipelines safe wallace said expect back service today could give time frame would returned service much premature point predict three disabled el paso westbound lines return service said patricia klinger spokeswoman department transportation research special programs administration rspa oversees ops one ruptured definitely going service awhile another line badly damaged fire third adjacent line could potentially opened test integrity line examined metallurgists told daily gpi everyone working course try get line back service safe operation pipeline premiere importance three lines shared right way able start looking exactly happened get one line back service klinger said metallurgist way right know going meet ntsb examining 50 foot section pipe ground result explosion think company also wants decide types tests done line piggable ntsb set command center carlsbad nm declined make preliminary speculation cause explosion much early us even think cause accident dealing facts right documenting pipe surveying land going look chronology emergency calls came document damage vehicles injuries said ntsb spokesman keith holloway probably point looking nine months year maybe results investigation publicly disclosed holloway noted rupture occurred 5 30 mdt underground line near pecos river crossing 30 miles south carlsbad caverns national park spot popular local campers fishermen blast tore crater earth 86 feet long 46 feet wide 20 feet deep according preliminary reports pipeline underground point rupture sending two sections pipe 20 feet long flying hundreds feet gas ignited shot flames broken pipe toward sleeping campers ntsb estimated gap 50 60 feet broken ends pipeline site fire burned 40 minutes el paso workers manually shut pipeline valves ten members two families burned death blast families related marriage camping public land along river near pipeline emerged ground cross pecos aerial crossing alongside bridge six pronounced dead scene four others died texas hospitals saturday night dead included five children age six including six month old twins two adults listed critical condition monday hospital lubbock tx ruptured pipeline el paso said constructed 1950 one four runs along southern branch el paso pipeline system adjacent 30 inch pipeline another 26 inch pipeline fourth 16 inch pipeline abandoned available service wallace said el paso federal officials particularly interested integrity second 30 inch pipeline ran close broken line wallace said none company customers cut service receiving gas reduced levels also said aug 2 patrol inspection either done air vehicle conducted pipelines located near pecos river el paso officials problems found el paso conducted last corrosion test february problems found either visual inspections conducted system pipelines month said company follows federal pipeline requirements inspections asked whether el paso planned change inspection system immediately wallace said think said ntsb review finds something needs changed company whatever needs done immediately situations rare said feel need change situation warrants certainly make changes necessary el paso working family members take care immediate needs including hotel accommodations food travel arrangements medical treatment company also providing additional services needed tragic accident heartfelt condolences go families involved said el paso energy president william wise said company working ntsb investigate diligently matters surrounding accident establish cause quickly possible fallout explosion expected extend across country federal legislators consider stringent pipeline rules following explosion bellingham wa killed three june 1999 locally carlsbad mayor gary perkowski said wanted find happened keep ever happening reaction echoed new mexico governor lot questions said johnson reliability pipelines went wrong preventable meanwhile rspa sifting history determine whether el paso blast biggest pipeline disaster record terms fatalities timeline 5 26 aug 19 el paso natural gas automated computer reading pressure pipeline indicates 673 5 pounds per square inch around 5 30 el paso natural gas employee bow hunting area sees large fireball scene 5 30 el paso natural gas automated computer reading pressure pipeline drops 377 19 pounds per square inch 5 30 carlsbad fire department responds emergency 6 12 carlsbad fire department arrives scene 6 21 el paso natural gas workers shut gas line using manual valves jan 1 june 30 year 40 transmission pipeline incidents according ops fourteen caused either external internal corrosion 11 damaged outside forces three due construction material defects 10 unknown one fatality june 30 year transmission pipeline incidents caused outside force eleven people injured june august 1999 ops sent warning letter el paso citing number pipeline safety violations arizona ops impose civil fine el paso advised pipeline correct circumstances leading violation take enforcement actions continued violation comes attention el paso blast may cinch tough pipe safety bill explosion el paso natural gas system killed 10 people weekend may give congress added boost pass tough pipeline safety reauthorization bill returns recess september capitol hill insiders said monday sadly proves congress needs act soon returns sept 5 pass pipeline safety improvement act innocent lives taken said spokeswoman sen john mccain r az june chairman mccain senate commerce committee voted pipeline safety improvement bill would among things give states inspection oversight authority interstate pipelines require interstate pipelines consult states integrity plans create stiffer penalties pipeline safety transgressors offer protection whistle blowers report pipeline violations mccain proposed agressive safety bill following product pipeline explosion bellingham wa killed three june 1999 mccain always determined pass bill year obviously sadly strengthens resolve said make determined effort happen whether brought vote senate floor senate leader trent lott r ms mccain spokeswoman said doubts senate push pipeline safety returns said terry boss vice president environment safety operations interstate natural gas association america ingaa house side companion mccain bill introduced well number pipeline safety measures subcommittee level issue could pick steam wake el paso blast must examine accident occurred ensure must never happen said rep joe skeen r nm definitely tragic situation boss said referring explosion near carlsbad nm reportedly left crater 20 feet deep 46 feet wide 86 feet long five 10 fatalities children spending weekend camping fishing family along pecos river political fallout disaster assessed washington c yesterday kind incident political ramifications sure going directly impact pending legislation regulations boss noted