A pipe explosion near a natural gas plant in Goldsmith created an approximately 250-foot fireball and burned about 4 miles of natural gas Wednesday evening.
The explosion happened at about 6 p.m. at a pipe about 30 yards from Highway 158 near the main entranceway to DCP Goldsmith Plant, said Odessa Fire and Rescue Senior Captain Kevin Jackson, acting as battalion chief. No one was injured.
The cause of the explosion remained unclear two hours later.
The pipe was 16 inches in diameter and funneled gas at 500 psi belonging to the company West Texas Gas, Jackson said. The company is headquartered in Midland.
Responding firefighters found and contacted the gas company, which shut off supply to the pipe, Jackson said. The fire, which destroyed a nearby welding shed, burned out by about 7:30 p.m.
The blast and fire destroyed 12 to 15 utility poles and trashed the road, Jackson said.
"It looks like the moon," he said. "There are caliche and rocks all over. There are rocks in the road the size of bowling balls."
Five OFR units responded, along with West Odessa and Goldsmith volunteer firefighters. Troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety blocked of roads nearby such as Gulf Avenue.
Copyright 2012 - Odessa American, Texas
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
