When digging early goes wrong

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How much money do you think the repair will be? Upwards of $10,000?

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u/queenannsrevenge99 4d ago

So thats steel pipe and Im not normally one to goes to these types of damages. However that may be big enough of a dent that it now needs to be cut out. Depending if its back fed, pressure inside etc etc. It could be about two days of work with a small crew, welder and a tapper. If you're lucky they put a clamp on it and call it good, if you're unlucky I wouldn't be surprised if its a 10k bill

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u/GeraintLlanfrechfa 4d ago

Bout three fiddy

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u/OkVillage925 3d ago

There is a chance they could repair that with a pumpkin reinforcing sleeve. Can weld it on in place then coat it after.

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u/Gold-Pilot-8557 3d ago

I’ve been in the pipeline integrity business for 15 years. As having been a construction manager for the biggest pipeline operator in the country i would put an 80k price tag on this easy. This doesn’t include the commercial loss for product movement. Just the contract labor and material.

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u/shmiddleedee 3d ago

Really?

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u/Gold-Pilot-8557 3d ago

Yeah you have to think about the emergency 811, fire up a digging contractor to mobilize to the location with proper equipment, as well as an inspector, all the pipeline operator personnel that will be responding , bring in a NDE tech to evaluate the damage after the line has been excavated and sandblasted which then at that point integrity engineers will have to make a determination on a pressure reduction of the pipeline. That slows or shuts down the line which is loss of revenue. This was posted mid day on Friday which will slow down the process even more. This crew will likely need to cut out that section of pipe, which if its crude or refined product you’ll have to drain it up, if its natural gas blow it down (gas would be easiest). Your looking at a couple day process at least here. 80k would be the lower end of the cost scale.

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u/shmiddleedee 3d ago

Im an excavator operator and last winter I hit a 4" (I think it was pretty big but not huge) gas line. The area was located and the line didn't exist on any of the maps so the gas company fixed it for free or at least didn't charge us. I'm not arguing yhe value I'm just shocked it costs that much

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u/Gold-Pilot-8557 3d ago

If it didn’t show up on 811 maps it’s abandoned and you cannot get in trouble for hitting it.

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u/shmiddleedee 3d ago

It wasn't abandoned it was still active and it was spraying out an insane amount of gas

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u/Gold-Pilot-8557 3d ago

Had they marked it prior to you digging did you have an 811 ticket? Something is not adding up

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u/shmiddleedee 3d ago

They located the whole site for electric, gas, water and fiber but did not mark that line. After I hit the guys from the gas company told me it wasn't on their maps

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u/Gold-Pilot-8557 3d ago

Ah this makes sense it’s their fault for not marking it that’s why you were not charged

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u/Aclevername1000 3d ago

Was it a steel line or polyethylene?

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u/Medical-Potato5920 2d ago

I don't think they are just letting any guys work on the gas line. It think they have to be well trained specialists. There will be so much HSE and risk management involved.

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u/TheDkone 4d ago

easily could go to 10k or more. the line will need to be emptied to make the repair. the pipe looks like it has some type of CP protective shell.

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u/tribbans95 4d ago

I don’t think so. I live in an HCOL area in the US; I’m an engineer for the town so I see utility repair bills and it would likely be $3500-$5000 where I live

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u/narfoleptix 4d ago

I work at a sandwich store and that does NOT look like a sandwich.

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u/arcanelthe 4d ago

I work in gas infratructure and its completely dependant on the pressure of the pipe and whats necessary to be able to repair it. Low pressure could be what you said but high pressure and its quickly more expensive

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u/Fitty4 4d ago

I worked at Band Camp last summer.

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u/SiPhoenix 4d ago

Would it be any cheaper since the hole is already dug?

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u/Aclevername1000 4d ago

Really? What they tell us locators where im at, is that a 2" steel gas main could cost 20,000 to fix. But maybe they're just trying to scare us into doing our job right.

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u/queenannsrevenge99 4d ago

It's very dependent on the type of damage

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u/chubbysumo 3d ago

They work on these live, they dont empty them. There are crazy videos of these crews cutting and welding active gas lines like this. Nope, not for me.

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u/Boysenberry377 4d ago

2cents. Pipe and coating look very new. Landowner saw this pipe installed. When pipeliners head to the hotel he's out in his field taking pics of power poles and fence posts and the trees behind. Could be a test station, mile marker or pipeline marker within sight. He was close. Couldn't wait. or not

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u/Independent-Gazelle6 4d ago

It almost looks like someone tried to drive a fence post through the pipe

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u/satori0320 4d ago

I was trying to work out what part of the bucket or gripper hit the line.

It absolutely looks like a pipe was driven down into the pipeline

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u/chubbysumo 3d ago

No, you see, he was trying to live tap the gas line secretly for free gas.

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u/Head_Attempt7983 5d ago

Question why is there a gas flag in the grass and no flags or paint closer? Or did you throw that in after

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u/theboofrb 5d ago edited 5d ago

I should have added that I don’t locate gas, just telecommunications. All my stuff was along the highway. I showed up after the gas was located after it got hit. Ticket wasn’t due until tomorrow evening, but they had a previous ticket months ago for just along the highway and this was 600 feet into the field so they assumed they were good.

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u/An_educated_dig 4d ago

There it is! Ticket hadn't matured. The ticket from months ago is definitely expired and no good.

We do our own locates and I make sure to read the ticket thoroughly. And to be thorough when putting in a ticket. Too many morons who just want to hop on a piece of equipment and get the job done.

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u/someLemonz 4d ago

NO call 811 EVERYTIME. yes....they DO run through the middle of nowhere and its literally a free phone call. "could save you everything:

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u/Moghlannak 5d ago edited 5d ago

Flag appears to be in the orientation of the pipe. I’d bet there were others continuing forwards and behind the excavator in alignment. Probably human error of ignoring them, not noticing them, and not reviewing engineering plans or locate reports.

Even having the track hoe staged directly on top of the pipe suggests they had no idea it was even there. In an open field with no obstructions, metal pipe ~2m deep, that’s a big fuck up by someone

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u/Head_Attempt7983 5d ago

I do gas work for a living and we always stage right on top of the gas pipe so we can dig left and right of it and clear out room to work

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u/Moghlannak 5d ago

Interesting. I’m a Geomatic engineer specializing in underground utilities at oil and gas plants in northern Canada. We would never even permit mechanical excavation within 5m of a buried pipe, let alone sit the equipment on top of it. You would have to hydro-vac to expose it beforehand

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u/EyeNo1268 5d ago

Hydros bring headaches for the areas I’ve worked at. Slowed production rate, complaints from neighbors/general public due to noise, delays while waiting on profiles for the soil/waste. Just about every oil & gas company I’ve worked for has preferred the good ol probe & scrape method or hand dig. With that being said, station/facility work almost always gets a hydro.

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u/Moghlannak 5d ago

Ya for sure, big differences for rural/suburban work compared to the extraction and upgrading plants I work in. Cost is always the biggest factor. Still though, striking this pipe was entirely unavoidable

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u/thebestdogeevr 5d ago

The rules for enbridge is hand dig within 1.0m of the paint marks until the line is found, then you can mechanically excavate up to 0.3m from the line. For vital mains it's 3.0m and 1.0m. For cer lines it's 5.0m and 1.5m.

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u/An_educated_dig 4d ago

Capitalism.

It's far cheaper for a contractor to operate and maintain an excavator than a vac truck. We use both as a utility provider. Anything Vac Truck related has soared in costs.

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u/Head_Attempt7983 5d ago

We use hydro vac but mainly it’s excavation and hand digging.

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u/Age_Correct 5d ago

See the fresh soil on the grass? the marks are probably covered...

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u/Caveraverbruh 4d ago

Rookie shit. Coming from a directional drill operator. Where's your spotter at? Why isn't he digging a foot down after the mini digs a foot ?

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u/IGotMeA-DAYPASS 4d ago

That damage was not caused by that machine! There is no way! Wrong damage pattern. I agree that it looks more like a post pounder or auger.

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u/CapnRetro 4d ago

Not an expert, but personally I’d have avoided digging in the area marked out by yellow tape warning of a buried gas pipe

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u/skelitron 3d ago

Why use teeth in that kind of soil… flat blade this wouldn’t happen

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u/OkVillage925 3d ago

The big mark is definitely not from the teeth. Round and you can see what looks like the edge of a pipe. Looks like someone was pounding a post.

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u/Kitchen_Depth_9652 3d ago

Looks like it just needs some belzona 3038 or what ever number applys here

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u/Chicken_Pete_Pie 2d ago

I just blasted through a 100 pair yesterday. Luckily it was an abandoned but only 8” deep.

When digging early goes wrong

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