Understanding the Energy Transfer Pipeline Fire in Deer Park
HOUSTON — Schools and businesses were forced to shelter in place, homes were evacuated, and roads closed on Monday due to a pipeline fire in the Deer Park area. This incident also left thousands of customers without power.
The pipeline involved in the fire belongs to Energy Transfer, as confirmed by Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. The fire was burning liquid natural gas, creating a dangerous situation for the surrounding area.
In a statement released by the company, Energy Transfer explained, “We experienced an incident this morning in La Porte, Texas, at a valve station along Spencer Highway for a 20” natural gas liquids line that resulted in a fire. There are no reports of injuries at this time. The LaPorte Fire Department is on the scene and has evacuated all homes and businesses within a half mile of the incident site. The line has been isolated so that the residual product in the line can safely burn itself out. We have no timeline at this point on how long that process will take, but we are working closely with local authorities.”
What is Energy Transfer?
According to the company’s website, Energy Transfer boasts “one of America’s largest energy portfolios” with 44 assets in the U.S. and offices in Beijing and Panama City, Panama. Their operations include transportation, storage, and terminalling for natural gas, crude oil, NGLs, refined products, and liquid natural gas.
The company’s origins trace back to East Texas in 1996, with its headquarters now based in Dallas. Kelcy L. Warren serves as its executive chairman and chairman of the board of directors, with Marshall Mackie McCrea and Thomas E. Long serving as co-chief executive officers.
What’s Burning in Deer Park?
Mayor Mouton confirmed in a news conference that the pipeline fire involved burning liquid natural gas. This type of natural gas poses environmental risks due to its methane content, a potent greenhouse gas.
The fire started near Spencer Highway and East Boulevard, close to a Walmart and H-E-B, according to the City of La Porte. Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia mentioned that the pipeline runs along the city limits between Deer Park and La Porte.
Investigations revealed that the area where the fire occurred has multiple pipelines running through it, each marked with different hazardous materials like petroleum, methanol, dry gas, and ethane. The primary concern amidst the fire is the continuous generation of heat, posing a significant risk to the surrounding area.