Publication Type
ORNL Report
Publication Date
Abstract
Underground natural gas storage facilities are a vital part of the U. S. national infrastructure. However, the concept of hazard zones from fires and explosions at these facilities is not nearly as well defined as it is for natural gas transmission pipelines. This report will take a safety area predicted for underground gas storage facilities called the Wellhead Safety Zone or WSZ and benchmark it against the observed damage zone from the drill rig accident near Rama, Louisiana on November 15, 2007. When combined with earlier accidents, this new benchmark indicates the WSZ formula gives an accurate indication of the hazard radius from underground gas storage facility accidents over a wide range of casing sizes and pressures.
