CASPER, Wyo.—A compressor station fire has cut the flow of natural gas passing through the Cheyenne Plains natural gas pipeline by half.
The fire began Sunday in the yard of the Cheyenne Plains compressor station at the Cheyenne Hub in northeast Colorado, according El Paso Corp., which owns the pipeline. The fire was extinguished within 10 minutes, but not before doing serious damage to major electrical components and pipeline valves.
No injuries were reported.
The Cheyenne Plains pipeline leads from the Cheyenne Hub to Greensburg, Kan.
Before the fire, the pipeline was flowing 780 million cubic feet of gas per day, according to El Paso. On Wednesday, the pipeline carried 380 million cubic feet per day, using a bypass of the damaged compressor facility.
The capacity interruption could last through October, according to El Paso. However, damage assessments are still being done.
“We are diligently working to restore full service at the facility,” El Paso spokesman Richard Wheatley said.
Last week, natural gas in the region sold at just 30 percent of the national average. This week, Wyoming natural gas was selling for about $5.39 less than the national average, or just 11 percent of the national average.
The lower natural gas prices means less money for Wyoming state coffers because taxes are based on the value of the gas.
———
Information from: Star-Tribune,
