OCC: ONG Failed To Properly Inspect Pipes Ahead Of NW OKC Home Explosion

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) released a report stating that Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) failed to properly analyze eight joint failures before a house exploded in NW OKC in early January.

The report also says there were no leakage survey records available between 1983 and 2001, roughly an 18-year gap. ONG spokesperson Cherokee Ballard said the company is not required to keep those records past 10 years, which is why they were omitted.

One person was injured inside of the home located in the 12000 Whispering Hollow Drive on Jan. 2.

The report, released to the media Wednesday morning, lists the probable cause of the explosion as follows:

“The Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s Pipeline Safety Department has determined the probable cause of the January 2, 2016, natural gas explosion…was the failure of the 4-inch PE main in the fusion joint. The fusion joint had inadequate fusion in the interior mid-portion of the butt fusion joint.

Contributing to the incident was ONG’s failure to analyze the previous eight joint failures on the 1,269 feet of 4-inch PE main in the Walnut Creek Subdivision.”

Read the OCC's full report.

Based on the findings of the OCC report, ONG has requested a conference to discuss the alleged violations and ways to update procedures moving forward.

ONG could be fined up to $500,000 for any related series of violations, according to the probable violation notification.