a ▁County , ▁West ▁Virginia , ▁ru pt ured ▁due ▁to ▁internal ▁cor ros ion ▁p itting , ▁complicated ▁by ▁low ▁impact ▁t ough ness ▁of ▁the ▁pipe ▁material , ▁causing ▁$ 2 9 , 0 1 1 ▁in ▁damage . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 5 , ▁an ▁accident al ▁massive ▁gas ▁release ▁at ▁P ump ▁Station ▁ 1 ▁of ▁the ▁trans - Al ask an ▁pipeline ▁by ▁A ly es ka ▁P ipeline ▁Service ▁Company ▁threatened ▁the ▁site ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁company ▁that ▁runs ▁the ▁pipeline ▁acknowled ges ▁a ▁fire ▁or ▁explos ion , ▁had ▁the ▁gas ▁ign ited , ▁could ▁have ▁imper iled ▁the ▁station ' s ▁ 6 0 - plus ▁workers ▁and ▁caused ▁" an ▁extended ▁shut down " ▁of ▁oil ▁fields . ▁There ▁was ▁no ▁ign ition ▁or ▁explos ion . ▁The ▁incident ▁occurred ▁as ▁B P ▁workers ▁used ▁a ▁clean ing ▁device ▁called ▁a ▁p ig ▁to ▁sw ab ▁oil ▁out ▁of ▁an ▁old ▁pipeline ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁prepar ing ▁to ▁de comm ission . ▁The ▁ 3 4 - inch ▁pipe ▁was ▁among ▁major ▁Pr ud ho e ▁tr unk ▁lines ▁found ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁to ▁be ▁rav aged ▁with ▁cor ros ion , ▁due ▁to ▁B P ' s ▁admitted ▁lack ▁of ▁proper ▁maintenance . ▁A ▁large ▁volume ▁of ▁gas ▁then ▁by pass ed ▁the ▁p ig ▁somehow , ▁and ▁r ushed ▁to ▁P ump ▁Station ▁ 1 , ▁a ▁key ▁asset ▁through ▁which ▁every ▁drop ▁of ▁oil ▁coming