Kinder Morgan Energy Partners announced that it has found no petroleum product in two new wells in Tucson drilled to determine if the gasoline spilled when the company’s pipeline ruptured last summer had spread.

The company said it will continue drilling a third new well to confirm that the spill has not spread to the west of Silvercroft Wash on Tucson’s west side.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality had ordered Kinder Morgan to drill more monitoring wells on Jan. 27 after some tests indicated the spill might have spread west.

In a related matter, Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup has been appointed to chair a national advisory committee on pipeline safety. U.S. Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, made the announcement on Feb. 18.

Mr. McCain’s office said that the committee to be headed by Mr. Walkup will be one of three that will report to the National Association of Fire Marshals.

Tom Bannigan, president of Kinder Morgan Products Pipelines, called the Tucson drilling results good news.

“From the beginning, careful evaluation has always been our priority and it continues to be,” said Mr. Bannigan. “It is the only way for everyone to be sure what happened and what it will take to restore the site.”

The break occurred July 30, and Kinder Morgan estimated about 19,000 gallons was spilled.

The pipeline, which provides a substantial portion of the gasoline supply for the Phoenix area, was shut down following the break and prompted a Valley gas shortage last summer.

Mr. Bannigan also announced progress on other projects associated with the spill.

He said that the company has completed a stress corrosion cracking investigation. A stress corrosion crack, uncommon in liquid petroleum pipelines, is what caused the spill and is the only such case in Kinder Morgan’s national refined products pipeline group.

Pipeline Safety Study

Mr. Bannigan said the company would file a final report with the U.S. Office of Pipeline Safety, which ordered the study.

“The final report will provide comprehensive details and conclusions,” Mr. Bannigan said. “But the investigation has reassured us that the pipeline is in good shape relative to supply and public safety.”

He did not provide any details on what information would be in the report.

Mr. Bannigan reported that Kinder Morgan is more than 90 per cent complete with its pipeline replacement and expansion project in Tucson where the company is spending more than $13 million to replace 12 miles of urban pipeline.

Mr. Bannigan said that pipe installation is complete, leaving only repaving, revegetation and other restoration efforts.

Mr. Bannigan added that the Tucson expansion project is the first step in a plan to replace 8-inch pipe with 12-inch pipe on the line between Phoenix and Tucson at a cost of $200 million. The company also will replace 160 miles of pipeline between El Paso and Tucson with larger pipe. —