Second Texas gas pipeline blast

Two men were killed on Tuesday when a ‘ripper’ on the back of a bulldozer struck a 14 in. gas pipeline line in Lubbock, Texas, causing an explosion.

According to local reports, workers were drilling a hole for a utility pole when the gas line was struck with the ripper. This severed the pipeline and ignited a massive explosion, which lasted for approximately two hours.

A ripper is a clawlike series of steel hooks used to loosen rocks and soil.

The blast also left three men injured, one critically. Another man escaped unharmed, officials said.

Crews from Denver-based DCP Midstream were able to shut off valves on the company's pipeline, and firefighters allowed the fire to burn itself out.

This tragic accident follows another pipeline explosion that happened on Monday in Johnson County in Texas, which killed one person.

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/10062010/second_texas_gas_pipeline_blast-/