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I've been Googling for hours now and I've found no quantitative or even vaguely scientific information. It looks like people here might have some clues for me.
I've just drilled a new water well - 180' deep, 5" PVC casing, northern California. The water comes up saturated with flammable gas. While pumping water there is about 4" WC pressure of free gas at the top of the well. While recovered and not pumping the pressure drops nearly to zero and there is only a slow bubbling sound audible in the well casing.
My main concern is the gas that stays dissolved through the pump and into the storage tank (2500 gallon poly tank above ground). The visible bubbles rise to the surface in minutes like carbonation from a soda. But in tests with gallon jugs filled from the pump output stream, I've opened each cap once per day for four days now and I still get a solid "thunk" of flame when I move a lighter near the open top. In normal operation all that gas will end up in the top of my storage tank...
The few references I've seen to gas in water wells just say "vent the storage tank". No clues about vent size or configuration. The inlet water arrives in a 1" pipe at a maximum of 5 Gallons per minute, and the outlet water leaves in 1.5" pipe at about 10 Gpm max, so for rupture/collapse protection of the tank a comparable vent should be sufficient - but what about the gas?
I see two possible strategies for explosion prevention - keep the methane diluted below the flammable range, or prevent ignition. Is there any chance of convection keeping the gas diluted? I can't imagine anything less than a powered venting system with fresh air inlet could keep the concentration in the safe range - and then what happens when the power goes out (as it often does here)?
So that leaves preventing ignition. Provided the conduit to the level sensor is sealed, is it safe to assume the only possible ignition source would be through the tank vent? If the tank pressure relief vent has a proper flame arrester, is it safe to leave the tank airspace full of methane at some random concentration? Where does a homeowner buy a proper flame arrester, or how would I make one? Does the well casing also need one?
Next question... I had planned to treat the water in the tank with an ozone filter system, that feeds the ozone to the center riser tube of a pleated filter through a small plastic tube from a remote generator. I can't imagine this is an ignition source, but does dumping ozone into the methane mixture cause any new problems?
What other issues do I need to consider?
Thanks for any clues,
Loren
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Venting Methane From Water Storage Tank?
Started by Guest_Loren Amelang_*, Apr 29 2004 12:47 AM
7 replies to this topic
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#2
mbeychok
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Posted 29 April 2004 - 02:25 AM
Loren:
I cannot answer all of your questions or concerns. However, I can discuss some items for you to consider:
(1) One of the first things to ascertain is where is the gas coming from? Did you perhaps drill your well at a site which was once a landfill and the gas is coming from a pocket of landfill gas? Or is there a gas pipeline in the area which is leaking or which you may have accidently pierced while drilling your well?
(2) I don't think that you should try to vent flammable gas by diluting it or by trying to suppress ignition. In fact, I very strongly urge you to immediately contact your local fire department and apprise them of the situation.
(3) You haven't told us where you are in Northern California. I would also urge you to contact your local air quality regulatory agency (for example, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in San Francisco). If you don't know who your local air quality regulatory agency is, then contact the California Air Resources Board in Sacramento and they will tell you. The reason for contacting your local air quality regulatory agency is that they may have regulations making it illegal for you to vent a flammable gas from your water tank unless the gas is vented to a properly designed and maintained flare system.
I realize that, having spent the money to drill a 180 foot deep water well, you don't want to abandon the well ... but it may well come to that.
I cannot answer all of your questions or concerns. However, I can discuss some items for you to consider:
(1) One of the first things to ascertain is where is the gas coming from? Did you perhaps drill your well at a site which was once a landfill and the gas is coming from a pocket of landfill gas? Or is there a gas pipeline in the area which is leaking or which you may have accidently pierced while drilling your well?
(2) I don't think that you should try to vent flammable gas by diluting it or by trying to suppress ignition. In fact, I very strongly urge you to immediately contact your local fire department and apprise them of the situation.
(3) You haven't told us where you are in Northern California. I would also urge you to contact your local air quality regulatory agency (for example, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in San Francisco). If you don't know who your local air quality regulatory agency is, then contact the California Air Resources Board in Sacramento and they will tell you. The reason for contacting your local air quality regulatory agency is that they may have regulations making it illegal for you to vent a flammable gas from your water tank unless the gas is vented to a properly designed and maintained flare system.
I realize that, having spent the money to drill a 180 foot deep water well, you don't want to abandon the well ... but it may well come to that.
#3
Guest_Guest_*
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Posted 29 April 2004 - 06:12 PM
Milton,
Thanks for the thoughts.
The well is in a silted-in valley bottom, at least 30 miles from any gas pipeline or major landfill. The drillers found bits of wood between 50 and 80 feet down. There are a few other known gas producing water wells in the area, and they seemed confident the gas was a natural result of the river having changed course over centuries past, or of one of the local earthquake faults. They predict the gas will dissipate after a few months.
Warning the fire volunteers is probably a good idea, but this is hardly a landmark flare. I assembled a flame trap from a plastic jug, water, and 1/4" drip tubing, and the maximum flame was a narrow plume about a foot high. The only problem I see is when large quantities collect in the water storage tank.
As for Air Quality, they can't get it together to stop the neighbors from openly burning all the plastic refuse from their restaurant and covering the neighborhood in noxious smoke, so I'm not worried about a tiny bit of natural methane escaping. This is "Northwest Nowhere", far from any major city.
I'd love to pipe the gas over to the water heater and burn it where it will do some good. Leave the propane pilot burning to make sure there is always ignition available, and just let whatever methane needs to vent add to the flame. I suppose there are a ton of regulations to prevent that, and require me to spend serious money in order to waste the gas "properly"...
Loren
Thanks for the thoughts.
The well is in a silted-in valley bottom, at least 30 miles from any gas pipeline or major landfill. The drillers found bits of wood between 50 and 80 feet down. There are a few other known gas producing water wells in the area, and they seemed confident the gas was a natural result of the river having changed course over centuries past, or of one of the local earthquake faults. They predict the gas will dissipate after a few months.
Warning the fire volunteers is probably a good idea, but this is hardly a landmark flare. I assembled a flame trap from a plastic jug, water, and 1/4" drip tubing, and the maximum flame was a narrow plume about a foot high. The only problem I see is when large quantities collect in the water storage tank.
As for Air Quality, they can't get it together to stop the neighbors from openly burning all the plastic refuse from their restaurant and covering the neighborhood in noxious smoke, so I'm not worried about a tiny bit of natural methane escaping. This is "Northwest Nowhere", far from any major city.
I'd love to pipe the gas over to the water heater and burn it where it will do some good. Leave the propane pilot burning to make sure there is always ignition available, and just let whatever methane needs to vent add to the flame. I suppose there are a ton of regulations to prevent that, and require me to spend serious money in order to waste the gas "properly"...
Loren
#4
mbeychok
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Posted 29 April 2004 - 07:42 PM
Loren:
How remote is your remote generator? Does it burn propane or butane or diesel? If so, how do you propose to make sure that the generator is not an ignition source? And are all of the electrical fittings/outlets/appliances in the nearby vicinity of your water tank of the explosion-proof type?
Believe me, I am not trying to nitpick on what you want to do. I just want you to be aware of the risks you are taking. Accidents can happen in the "Northwest Nowhere" just as readily as they can happen in a major city. And it isn't a matter of "wasting the gas properly" ... rather it is a matter of venting or using the gas safely.
QUOTE
But in tests with gallon jugs filled from the pump output stream, I've opened each cap once per day for four days now and I still get a solid "thunk" of flame when I move a lighter near the open top
I would caution you once more to report your problem to the nearest Fire Department. Just keep in mind that, should there be a fire and/or explosion caused by your vented gas and should someone be seriously injured, you will be in a world of trouble.QUOTE
... that feeds the ozone to the center riser tube of a pleated filter through a small plastic tube from a remote generator
How remote is your remote generator? Does it burn propane or butane or diesel? If so, how do you propose to make sure that the generator is not an ignition source? And are all of the electrical fittings/outlets/appliances in the nearby vicinity of your water tank of the explosion-proof type?
Believe me, I am not trying to nitpick on what you want to do. I just want you to be aware of the risks you are taking. Accidents can happen in the "Northwest Nowhere" just as readily as they can happen in a major city. And it isn't a matter of "wasting the gas properly" ... rather it is a matter of venting or using the gas safely.
#5
Art Montemayor
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Posted 29 April 2004 - 09:17 PM
Loren:
I'm going to jump in and give some added "fuel" to the fire that Milton is trying to build under you. I can't quantify the dilemma you find yourself in; I doubt if anyone can at this moment. But it is a serious dilemma, I can assure you with my experience in the field. Between Milton and I, you can figure on 100 years of combined engineering experience and I wouldn't sell that cheap. The plain fact is, as Milton has stated, you've got a tiger by the tail; a tiger we don't know the quality, quantity, or sustainability of. This makes for a bad engineering problem.
We do know the basic facts: you're dealing with a flammable and explosive gas. Here in Houston, we've already had several deaths as a result of unexpected explosions inside water separation tanks contaminated with natural gas. I can tell you from personal experience : don't take the situation lightly; it can turn on you - and with deadly results.
The most serious problem I foresee is that you're dealing with a natural, God-given source that is probably linked to an underground fracture or fault line that you or anyone else can't guarantee as to dependability, quantity, or sustainability. It could go away just as it could sprout or increase in a given day - no one really knows. Trying to tame and exploit this fuel source may sound attractive to you, but it will be costly just to make it safe much less rely on its steady flowrate. The amount of instrumentation, alarms and controls normally required is something you may not want to find out about in cost.
I would be more concerned, as Milton infers, about the pending hazard that this identifiable gas source represents and the legal and moral liabilities it incurs. Hell, I'm not worried about the environmentalists getting on somebody's tail about the fugitive emissions given off. What I'm focusing on is the eventual and credible probability of a quantity of this gas getting trapped or accumulating in some natural surrounding pocket or space and being ignited by nothing more than an electrical connection, static electricity, a near-by auto starting up, etc., etc. Regardless of how far away in the boonies you presently find yourself, you may be instantly transported to beautiful downtown San Francisco! I'm trying to inject some common sense into this message rather than levity and I feel that somehow you believe you can handle the situation on your terms. My experience tells me that you or anyone else -including ourselves - can't.
By informing the indicated local authorities you will have transformed some of the personal liability on to an organization that can do something about the potential hazard. It may involve plugging the well; but if it keeps everyone in the area safe, I would think it would be worth it.
I sincerely hope all works out well for you and this can get rapidly resolved.
Art Montemayor
Spring, TX
I'm going to jump in and give some added "fuel" to the fire that Milton is trying to build under you. I can't quantify the dilemma you find yourself in; I doubt if anyone can at this moment. But it is a serious dilemma, I can assure you with my experience in the field. Between Milton and I, you can figure on 100 years of combined engineering experience and I wouldn't sell that cheap. The plain fact is, as Milton has stated, you've got a tiger by the tail; a tiger we don't know the quality, quantity, or sustainability of. This makes for a bad engineering problem.
We do know the basic facts: you're dealing with a flammable and explosive gas. Here in Houston, we've already had several deaths as a result of unexpected explosions inside water separation tanks contaminated with natural gas. I can tell you from personal experience : don't take the situation lightly; it can turn on you - and with deadly results.
The most serious problem I foresee is that you're dealing with a natural, God-given source that is probably linked to an underground fracture or fault line that you or anyone else can't guarantee as to dependability, quantity, or sustainability. It could go away just as it could sprout or increase in a given day - no one really knows. Trying to tame and exploit this fuel source may sound attractive to you, but it will be costly just to make it safe much less rely on its steady flowrate. The amount of instrumentation, alarms and controls normally required is something you may not want to find out about in cost.
I would be more concerned, as Milton infers, about the pending hazard that this identifiable gas source represents and the legal and moral liabilities it incurs. Hell, I'm not worried about the environmentalists getting on somebody's tail about the fugitive emissions given off. What I'm focusing on is the eventual and credible probability of a quantity of this gas getting trapped or accumulating in some natural surrounding pocket or space and being ignited by nothing more than an electrical connection, static electricity, a near-by auto starting up, etc., etc. Regardless of how far away in the boonies you presently find yourself, you may be instantly transported to beautiful downtown San Francisco! I'm trying to inject some common sense into this message rather than levity and I feel that somehow you believe you can handle the situation on your terms. My experience tells me that you or anyone else -including ourselves - can't.
By informing the indicated local authorities you will have transformed some of the personal liability on to an organization that can do something about the potential hazard. It may involve plugging the well; but if it keeps everyone in the area safe, I would think it would be worth it.
I sincerely hope all works out well for you and this can get rapidly resolved.
Art Montemayor
Spring, TX
#6
Guest_Loren Amelang_*
Guest_Loren Amelang_*
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Posted 30 April 2004 - 06:07 PM
I must say I'm surprised by all the cautious replies here. I'm a controls engineer myself, so I know about liability and caution, but nobody else seems concerned. The licensed professional well drillers (who were totally paranoid about permits and distances to leach lines) knew there was gas, but continued to operate equipment over the borehole. They left it venting a foot off the ground, didn't notify anyone, and didn't give me any suggestions for caution in dealing with it.
None of the many internet sites where I've found references to gas in water wells have suggested anything beyond venting the gas above common sources of ignition like lawn mowers and smokers. Likewise, sites dealing with venting home septic systems and boat blackwater tanks mention only vent height or distance from human contact.
Then there are all the plans for home methane digesters or ag waste systems, where large and variable quantities of methane are intentionally created. I have yet to find one that suggests fancy automated controls. Typically they run the gas through an air compressor into a water-displacement tank, and then pipe it to normal appliances.
Natural gas, and propane which is much worse because it is heavier than air, were used without automated controls inside houses for many years with only occasional problems. I have a hard time believing I can't create a relatively simple and safe system for dealing with my tiny bit of gas.
Most of my system will be outdoors and completely un-enclosed. The well, the storage tank, and any vents will be completely exposed so any accidentally vented gas can rise and dissipate naturally. The downwell pump is submerged in the well. Its controls are 25 feet away inside a building, connected via underground conduit. Power control for the submersible pump is completely electronic, there are no mechanical contacts anywhere.
The ozone system is also at a distance in the building, with the ozone delivered via a plastic tube. It consists of a hermetically sealed air pump and a sealed lamp assembly that run continuously, so there is no ignition source even if gas could get to it. The delivery pressure pump is likewise in the distant building, connected to the tank only by the PVC feed line from the bottom of the tank. Even thought there is no route for gas to enter this building, it is vented at the top with over five square feet of cross-flow openings, so it could not trap any gas.
That leaves a possible hazard at the wellhead, where despite a standard "well seal" there will be enough hydraulic force to prevent an absolute seal. I propose to pipe this vent to a location where it can either dissipate or burn safely. If commercial pressurized propane can be piped underground in plastic tubing, and natural gas can be piped across whole continents, I can't believe there isn't a safe way to move my little stream of gas. I grew up with natural gas yard lights and "tiki torches" connected to pressurized gas mains, so how can it be so hard to release or burn my tiny bit of gas safely? And while it is unlikely that the gas in the pipe and in the well casing would have the right amount of oxygen to burn, I'd like to add a flame arrester or trap to stop any flame that might try to flash back.
There will also be gas accumulating in the water storage tank. Right now the pump is not yet connected to the tank, and the tank is fully enclosed, with a tight fitting screw-on manway cover. The only penetrations are the inlet and outlet fittings, which will be connected to the pumps via PVC pipe, and the sealed conduit for the ozone tube and the wires to the level sensor electrodes. These electrodes are isolated from the 2 Volt potential in the LM1830 sensor chip by tiny 0.05 uFd capacitors, so there is no ignition source from the level controls.
Standard procedure in the water system industry appears to be to just put a bug-screened vent at the top of the tank to release excess gas pressure. I'm proposing to add a flame arrester, at least. The vent would already be 10' off the ground and 4' from any edge of the tank area, so it would require serious intention for a human to ignite it. It needs to be designed so it won't melt the tank down if it does ignite, and so the flame can't propagate inside the tank.
Sure, bad things _could_ happen. But there is flammable propane under pressure, in a code-approved flex connector, right there at the corner of the house where any fool could drive into it or mangle it with a lawn mower, and life goes on. My parents still have a completely manual natural gas heater in their tiny bathroom, and their house has survived for seventy years.
I'll stop here. I understand why professionals don't want to provide anything but warnings in a public forum. If anyone could suggest how to buy or build an effective flame arrester, I'm listening.
Loren
None of the many internet sites where I've found references to gas in water wells have suggested anything beyond venting the gas above common sources of ignition like lawn mowers and smokers. Likewise, sites dealing with venting home septic systems and boat blackwater tanks mention only vent height or distance from human contact.
Then there are all the plans for home methane digesters or ag waste systems, where large and variable quantities of methane are intentionally created. I have yet to find one that suggests fancy automated controls. Typically they run the gas through an air compressor into a water-displacement tank, and then pipe it to normal appliances.
Natural gas, and propane which is much worse because it is heavier than air, were used without automated controls inside houses for many years with only occasional problems. I have a hard time believing I can't create a relatively simple and safe system for dealing with my tiny bit of gas.
Most of my system will be outdoors and completely un-enclosed. The well, the storage tank, and any vents will be completely exposed so any accidentally vented gas can rise and dissipate naturally. The downwell pump is submerged in the well. Its controls are 25 feet away inside a building, connected via underground conduit. Power control for the submersible pump is completely electronic, there are no mechanical contacts anywhere.
The ozone system is also at a distance in the building, with the ozone delivered via a plastic tube. It consists of a hermetically sealed air pump and a sealed lamp assembly that run continuously, so there is no ignition source even if gas could get to it. The delivery pressure pump is likewise in the distant building, connected to the tank only by the PVC feed line from the bottom of the tank. Even thought there is no route for gas to enter this building, it is vented at the top with over five square feet of cross-flow openings, so it could not trap any gas.
That leaves a possible hazard at the wellhead, where despite a standard "well seal" there will be enough hydraulic force to prevent an absolute seal. I propose to pipe this vent to a location where it can either dissipate or burn safely. If commercial pressurized propane can be piped underground in plastic tubing, and natural gas can be piped across whole continents, I can't believe there isn't a safe way to move my little stream of gas. I grew up with natural gas yard lights and "tiki torches" connected to pressurized gas mains, so how can it be so hard to release or burn my tiny bit of gas safely? And while it is unlikely that the gas in the pipe and in the well casing would have the right amount of oxygen to burn, I'd like to add a flame arrester or trap to stop any flame that might try to flash back.
There will also be gas accumulating in the water storage tank. Right now the pump is not yet connected to the tank, and the tank is fully enclosed, with a tight fitting screw-on manway cover. The only penetrations are the inlet and outlet fittings, which will be connected to the pumps via PVC pipe, and the sealed conduit for the ozone tube and the wires to the level sensor electrodes. These electrodes are isolated from the 2 Volt potential in the LM1830 sensor chip by tiny 0.05 uFd capacitors, so there is no ignition source from the level controls.
Standard procedure in the water system industry appears to be to just put a bug-screened vent at the top of the tank to release excess gas pressure. I'm proposing to add a flame arrester, at least. The vent would already be 10' off the ground and 4' from any edge of the tank area, so it would require serious intention for a human to ignite it. It needs to be designed so it won't melt the tank down if it does ignite, and so the flame can't propagate inside the tank.
Sure, bad things _could_ happen. But there is flammable propane under pressure, in a code-approved flex connector, right there at the corner of the house where any fool could drive into it or mangle it with a lawn mower, and life goes on. My parents still have a completely manual natural gas heater in their tiny bathroom, and their house has survived for seventy years.
I'll stop here. I understand why professionals don't want to provide anything but warnings in a public forum. If anyone could suggest how to buy or build an effective flame arrester, I'm listening.
Loren
#7
mbeychok
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Posted 30 April 2004 - 07:20 PM
Loren:
One final word and then I promise to discontinue this debate. Most, if not all, of the things you grew up with or now use routinely (tiki torches, natural gas yard lights, LPG tanks fueling backyard barbecues, electrical devices, etc.) were all designed by professionals to meet specific code requirements of the Underwriters Laboratories, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and others before they were offered for sale to the general public. In many cases, local city building and safety codes also dictate what can or cannot be used within the city limits. My point is that the design of those devices represent the culmination of many years of experience, research and work ... they were not designed by some individual doing Google searches and reading web sites.
Despite that, every year there are many LPG and natural gas fires nationwide in which many people are injured or die ... too many to be brushed off by characterizing them as "occasional problems" as you did.
Because you and your parents survived seventy years without experiencing a fire is commendable. Our nation also survived the past seventy years without anyone flying jet airplanes into skyscrapers and causing a horrible disaster. Who would have thought that possible? And if someone had thought of it, would that someone have been considered "overly cautious" for worrying about it?
Please do yourself a favor and discuss your problem with the nearest professional, trained fire department ... rather than your local volunteer fire department.
One final word and then I promise to discontinue this debate. Most, if not all, of the things you grew up with or now use routinely (tiki torches, natural gas yard lights, LPG tanks fueling backyard barbecues, electrical devices, etc.) were all designed by professionals to meet specific code requirements of the Underwriters Laboratories, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and others before they were offered for sale to the general public. In many cases, local city building and safety codes also dictate what can or cannot be used within the city limits. My point is that the design of those devices represent the culmination of many years of experience, research and work ... they were not designed by some individual doing Google searches and reading web sites.
Despite that, every year there are many LPG and natural gas fires nationwide in which many people are injured or die ... too many to be brushed off by characterizing them as "occasional problems" as you did.
Because you and your parents survived seventy years without experiencing a fire is commendable. Our nation also survived the past seventy years without anyone flying jet airplanes into skyscrapers and causing a horrible disaster. Who would have thought that possible? And if someone had thought of it, would that someone have been considered "overly cautious" for worrying about it?
Please do yourself a favor and discuss your problem with the nearest professional, trained fire department ... rather than your local volunteer fire department.
#8
Art Montemayor
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Posted 11 May 2004 - 12:48 PM
All:
The following is a news clip about a natural gas (methane) explosion that triggered a pioneering safety act that we still have in force today. Note that this incident happened almost 70 years ago - the time frame addressed by both Loren and Milton.
"New London, Texas School Explosion
March 18, 1937
New London was an oil well community. The public school there was heated with Natural gas. (At that time natural gas was odorless and colorless.) There was a gas leak from a pipe in the school boiler room. Triggered by a spark in the wood shop the whole school exploded. Over 300 children and their teachers where killed. One news reporter’s estimate at the time was 425 children killed. With the loss of so many children, no one took an actual count of how many died from the explosion. 294 bodies were recovered, some had been blown to pieces. Those that weren’t blown apart were buried in the debris.
Everyone in the community rushed to the rescue. Men started digging through the rubble as the women prepared food and aid for the rescue workers. As the digging went on, they found what they were looking for: the bodies of their children. The bodies were taken to the American Legion post where a temporary morgue was set up for identification. Whole families were lost. Everyone in the community had lost someone in the explosion.
As a direct result of this devastating catastrophe, the United States Government passed a law that a chemical “Mercaptan” be put into natural gas to give it an identifying, unique smell to make its detection possible."
We, in Texas, have never forgotten this tragic event that caused so much pain and loss. We have continued to have accidents and explosions since that time, with leaks and occurances of natural gas under both instrumented and un-instrumented situations. I just want to add this tragic part of our history to this thread as a reminder to all interested readers of just how devastating a mishap with natural gas can be, and hope that perons handling the gas appreciate its potency and hazards. I don't think I need to make any further points or arguments in this regard.
Art Montemayor
Spring, TX
The following is a news clip about a natural gas (methane) explosion that triggered a pioneering safety act that we still have in force today. Note that this incident happened almost 70 years ago - the time frame addressed by both Loren and Milton.
"New London, Texas School Explosion
March 18, 1937
New London was an oil well community. The public school there was heated with Natural gas. (At that time natural gas was odorless and colorless.) There was a gas leak from a pipe in the school boiler room. Triggered by a spark in the wood shop the whole school exploded. Over 300 children and their teachers where killed. One news reporter’s estimate at the time was 425 children killed. With the loss of so many children, no one took an actual count of how many died from the explosion. 294 bodies were recovered, some had been blown to pieces. Those that weren’t blown apart were buried in the debris.
Everyone in the community rushed to the rescue. Men started digging through the rubble as the women prepared food and aid for the rescue workers. As the digging went on, they found what they were looking for: the bodies of their children. The bodies were taken to the American Legion post where a temporary morgue was set up for identification. Whole families were lost. Everyone in the community had lost someone in the explosion.
As a direct result of this devastating catastrophe, the United States Government passed a law that a chemical “Mercaptan” be put into natural gas to give it an identifying, unique smell to make its detection possible."
We, in Texas, have never forgotten this tragic event that caused so much pain and loss. We have continued to have accidents and explosions since that time, with leaks and occurances of natural gas under both instrumented and un-instrumented situations. I just want to add this tragic part of our history to this thread as a reminder to all interested readers of just how devastating a mishap with natural gas can be, and hope that perons handling the gas appreciate its potency and hazards. I don't think I need to make any further points or arguments in this regard.
Art Montemayor
Spring, TX
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