COUNTY NEWS RELEASE

Editor’s note: The Los Alamos Reporter changed the County’s headline from “Main gas pipeline undergoing testing” to the headline above to indicate the extent of the project. On Tuesday afternoon, the Pueblo Complex on Diamond Drive was evacuated due to a suspected gas leak.

The New Mexico Gas Company (NMGC) is performing required pipeline integrity testing on the main natural gas transmission line through the end of July or early August. Natural gas is being supplied to the area via a virtual pipeline.  

 Los Alamos County and the Los Alamos National Laboratory receive natural gas via this main transmission line. NMGC is conducting a hydrostatic pressure test on the section of transmission line between Santa Fe and Los Alamos, in accordance with a federal regulator requirement. This is not a Department of Public Utilities project.

The hydrostatic pressure test is utilized to ensure the pipeline remains capable of safely handling the pressures it is designed to operate at. The pipeline is filled with clean water, pressurized and then held at-pressure to monitor for any integrity issues. When the pressure holds, this verifies that the pipeline is of sound condition and can operate safely at its designed pressure.

While the main transmission line is out of service for testing, NMGC is delivering the County’s gas supply via the temporary virtual pipeline of liquified natural gas (LNG). The virtual pipeline consists of LNG being delivered and stored in tanker trucks, visible across from Camino Entrada. No supply disruptions to customers are anticipated.  

Like all bulk supplies of natural gas, LNG is odorless as it comes out of the tankers because it does not include any odorant to provide the familiar “natural gas smell.” The equipment used during this temporary operation adds an odorant to the LNG before it flows into the public, to maintain gas safety.

The odorant added during this temporary operation is much stronger than the odorant used in the regular supply. Customers might be noticing the smell of gas in their homes more, depending on appliance use or the potential of small leaks being more noticeable. If you are concerned about the smell of gas in your home, please call the Customer Care Center at 505-662-8333, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. After hours concerns should be directed to police dispatch at 505-662-8222.  

During the setup of the odorant system during the week of June 29, there was a necessary venting of concentrated odorant, which was noticeable in businesses around Camino Entrada. NMGC will notify the County in advance if any future odorant venting is necessary.