Flames Shoot 150 Feet in Air after TX Gas Line Rupture

A natural gas line exploded Monday in Corpus Christi, temporarily halting production at nearby facilities at the Port of Corpus Christi.

Corpus Christi firefighters were called to a natural gas line rupture and fire near the northbound lanes of Interstate 37 and Buddy Lawrence Drive shortly before 8:30 a.m. Monday, KRIS-TV reported.  The fire was contained and normal traffic resumed about an hour later.

No injuries were reported but with the fireball next to the Corpus Christi Citgo refinery, authorities closed part of I-37 and other underground pipelines in the area as a precaution. Nearby industrial facilities at the port followed suit.

Although not directly affected by the fire, the Javelina Gas Processing Plant off I-37 receives natural gas from other lines in the area. The facility told the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that those lines were shut off, prompting the plant to vent and flare thousands of pounds of butane, ethylene and other compounds.

Port of Corpus Christi officials reported that the fire did not affect operations at South Texas waterway but port police assisted in securing the scene.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Citgo officials confirmed that a pipeline owned by a third party caught fire outside the company's east refinery and was extinguished without injury.

"This incident does not pose any threat to the surrounding community, our employees or contractors," the company said in a statement.

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