Accident field proves no accident to Texas Eastern

Texas Eastern Transmission Corp.'s, Accident, Maryland, underground gas storage field is no accident. The 34,000- acre 15-yr-old field located in W. Maryland, some 75 miles west of Pittsburgh, Penn. is the first, largest, and the highest pressure completely automatic storage field in the gas industry. All facilities, including the compressor unit, dehydration plant, measurement and control station, and the pressure reducing station, have been designed for unattended operation. The field responds to 2 basic commands--inject and withdrawal. Accident field is being used for a 2-fold purpose. In the winter, the field is utilized to supplement the deliverability of the pipeline system in connection with the company's winter service rate schedule, 150 days in length. In the summer months, when the full capacity of the transmission pipeline from the south is not required for deliveries, gas is diverted into the Accident and other storage fields.