PG&E finds corrosion on gas pipelines

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Pacific Gas and Electric said corrosion was the likely culprit of a small leak on a natural gas pipeline in central California discovered last week.

Pressure tests on natural gas pipelines in California led PG&E revealed a leak on a 24-inch pipe in Palo Alto, Calif.

The leak was on a section of the pipeline that exploded in San Bruno, Calif., last year, killing eight people and destroying 38 homes.

Kirk Johnson, vice president of gas transmission maintenance at PG&E, brushed off the incident by describing it as isolated.

"The rest of the pipe, some of it looked brand new," he was quoted by the San Jose Mercury News as saying.

The pipeline rupture Sunday triggered a landslide that closed part of a freeway for four hours. PG&E officials said they suspect the pipeline failed at a dent, which they said was likely caused by another person or company.

Johnson said the last time PG&E looked at the section of the pipeline in Palo Alto was two years ago. He said the pressure used during the testing, which was done by inserting water into the pipeline, was much higher than that used during gas operations.

The newspaper report adds that a tar-based corrosion deterrent was wrapped around natural gas pipelines in California when they were installed in the 1940s.