Energy pipeline operator Energy Transfer LP has disclosed a pipeline rupture in Louisiana last month that released 8.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, according to a report filed with the U.S. National Response Center.
The July 22 leak, the equivalent of enough gas to supply 40,000 U.S. homes for a day, originated from a gathering system near Ringgold, Louisiana, the report said. The line has been shut until further notice.
Separately, Energy Transfer agreed to plead no contest on Friday to environmental crimes in Pennsylvania in connection with the construction of its Mariner East 2 Pipeline and Revolution Pipeline, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro's office announced.
The Mariner pipeline construction resulted in large amounts of drilling fluid escaping into waterways, potentially affecting drinking water, while the Revolution line was linked to a blast that destroyed a nearby home, damaged power lines and burned several acres of surrounding woodland, according to the agreement between the company and the state.
The agreement imposed a $10 million fine on Energy Transfer and required the company to pay for homeowners' water supply testing and clean-up.
The cause of the Louisiana rupture is under investigation, and a sample section of the pipeline has been sent to a lab for examination, said Patrick Courreges, spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.
The company has 30 days to provide Louisiana with a report on the cause of the leak, after which the department will conduct its own review.
Energy Transfer, founded by billionaire Kelcy Warren, was not immediately available for comment. It has suffered a string of leaks and safety incidents this year.
Last month, a burst natural gas pipeline owned and operated by the company caused a roughly two-hour blaze in a rural area outside of Houston.
In June, a spill from Energy Transfer's Mid-Valley pipeline released more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil into rural Tennessee in what was among the biggest leaks of its kind in the state's history.
Earlier this year, Energy Transfer contractors were injured after a 10-inch natural gas gathering line ruptured on the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
