South Wales Pipeline Constructed in “a manner unacceptable by any professional standards”

December 4th, 2007

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Correspondents have passed on vital new information on some developments in the Milford Haven pipeline saga, which as I noted recently, is still without conclusion, despite reports in the local media and on the BBC which suggested otherwise.

First, it would appear that the government’s decision on whether a depressurisation installation at Corse should be built has been substantially delayed - perhaps until February, according to a statement from the Department of Communities and Local Government in response to a constituent’s query. Why this might be is open to interpretation, but it is interesting in the light of the fact that one of the reasons National Grid has originally advanced for building the pipeline and associated infrastructure as quickly as possible was its contractual obligation to get gas pumping by October 2007.

It seems that the Government doesn’t give much of a toss about that, all of a sudden. Perhaps it won’t wait quite that long - maybe just until the Xmas recess we’ll have a very underplayed announcement from Whitehall that NG won’t be allowed to build the installation at Corse, thus introducing another delay into National Grid’s plans. This would definitely be a sign that NG’s cack-handed handling of the planning and construction of the pipeline has been noticed by the ministers whose ears it has been bending.

Second, new evidence has emerged of the threat to public safety posed by a pipeline which has been constructed hurriedly, on the back of inadequate risk analysis, through terrain which, thanks to its highly variegated geological profile, poses unique problems for a project of this type. Three civil engineers who live in and around Brecon have written a hughy critical report based on their first-hand observation of the construction process, together with discussions they undertook with senior National Grid employees.

One of their conclusions is that there has been no adequate oversight of the project by consultant engineers and supervisors. Further, they argue that the pipe has not been laid according to the specifications for this kind of work issued by the Institute of Gas Engineers.

The pipe has not been laid throughout in accordance with this specification which requires a bed of fine material 6” or 150mm thick to be provided, and the pipe then to be surrounded with the same minimum thickness of fine material in the course of back filling, up to 6” over the top of the pipe. All sharp objects are to be excluded from this bed and surrounding, stones and such like. This is correctly required in order to preserve intact the anti-corrosion coating provided over the whole outer surface of all the pipes. Wherever this coating is damaged, corrosion will start immediately, and lead to explosions sooner than would otherwise be the case.

Overall, they point to a staggering variety of signs of incompetence and rushed construction, extending even to the site surveys which were carried out by Murphy [PDF, 2.76MB], who failed (in South Wales!) in the course of a year to find any incidence of solid rock within eight feet of the surface along the route, and were then surprised on starting to dig trenches to find themselves faced with…solid rock.

In closing, let me quote the final lines of the report, which strike a particularly disturbing note.

A full enquiry into all of the circumstances, before the pipe is put into operation, is now required, before anyone is killed. It is interesting to report, in conclusion, that within the last 3 days or so [report finished on 14 Nov - R] a small explosion occurred at Trebanos in an “above ground installation”, followed by a sustained high pitched screech. On this occasion the HSE were summoned by members of the public and reported that “there was nothing to worry about”. A more balanced view would be, hopefully, that on the contrary, there was everything to worry about, for any mishap concerning high explosive, but that on this occasion the damage had been limited and would not recur. One hopes!

UPDATE (5 Dec 11.41GMT): According to Sitemeter, my regular visitors from National Grid HQ over in Coventry dropped by twenty minutes ago.

UPDATE UPDATE (6 Dec 11.00GMT): Looks like they’ve been in touch with their mates at Exxon in Irving, Texas, too.

Read the full report [PDF, 104KB].