Pipe cap fails; oil sprays over interstate near Frio River

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By Marc Robertson
and Breyana Segura

Dilley volunteer firefighter Jimmy Lozano inspects a stretch of land between a pipeline cap and IH-35 near Milemarker 89 on Sunday afternoon, April 3, after crude oil had leaked under pressure and created a flume 80 feet high that drifted over passing vehicles. The Texas Railroad Commission is investigating the reasons for the pipe falsely being reported as plugged. (Photos: Dilley VFD)

Highway motorists found their vehicles doused in oil after traveling between Dilley and Pearsall on Sunday, April 3, when a burst pipe caused the fluid to spray across the interstate.
Emergency responders were joined by state transportation department representatives in examining the apparent leak shortly after 11 a.m. on Sunday and discovered that a pipe cap or valve had broken under pressure, sending oil into the air, where it was caught by the wind.
The leak occurred a short distance east of the interstate near Milemarker 89, between Dilley and the Frio River. The resulting oil streak across open country and the interstate itself covered several acres as a mist cloud of oil was dispersed.
“There was a slight breeze that morning,” Texas Department of Transportation representatives noted in a prepared statement on the incident. “The breeze carried a light mist over both lanes of the interstate and you could even see some of the oil on the vegetation.”
Members of the Dilley Volunteer Fire Department were also dispatched and reported from the scene that it appeared a number of cars and trucks on the highway had been struck by droplets of black oil.
Crude oil from an uncapped well was spewing approximately 80 feet into the air, according to emergency responders. Reports indicate the oil had been leaking from the pipe for at least 30 minutes by the time services reached the scene. The leak continued for approximately three hours before the pipe was successfully capped.
Assisting in the response were deputies of the Frio County Sheriff’s Office and officers of the Dilley Police Department.
No traffic accidents have been reported as having occurred as a result of the leak.
The Dilley VFD has indicated that responsibility for the leak may fall to Offspring Well Salvage, and that the pipe had been documented by the Texas Railroad Commission as plugged, when in fact it had not been properly sealed.
Road closures in the area included the highway access road during the investigation and cleanup.
Clean-up of the site falls under the auspices of the Texas Department of Transportation, which has classified the incident as a hazardous materials spill. Quantities of OptiSorb were spread across traffic lanes to prevent the roadway from becoming slick and to facilitate removal of the oil.
The ongoing investigation into the incident may determine how many gallons of crude oil leaked from the pipeline.