Pipeline rupture spills 50,000 gallons of Permian Basin crude oil in Bastrop County

The Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management issued a map of areas that needed to be evacuated for the Mesquite Oil Spill off of FM 20 on Thursday, July 13, 2017. The Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management issued a map of areas that needed to be evacuated for the Mesquite Oil Spill off of FM 20 on Thursday, July 13, 2017. Photo: Bastrop County Office Of Emergency Management Photo: Bastrop County Office Of Emergency Management Image 1 of / 26 Caption Close Pipeline rupture spills 50,000 gallons of Permian Basin crude oil in Bastrop County 1 / 26 Back to Gallery

A pipeline rupture in Bastrop County spilled an estimated 1,200 barrels of crude oil — around 50,000 gallons — and prompted an evacuation Thursday morning, county officials said.

Contractors doing maintenance work for pipeline owner Tulsa, Okla.-based Magellan Midstream Partners accidentally punctured the pipeline just before 9 a.m., according to the company.

The pipeline was in operation at the time, but Bastrop County officials said that no injuries were reported. The pipeline was shut down, and Magellan said that no crude oil reached a waterway before it was contained.

The spill happened about 4 miles southwest of Bastrop, which is about 30 miles southeast of Austin.

Magellan said about 15 homes nearby had to be evacuated, but that by late Thursday, everyone was expected to be able to return home. Public safety officials asked the public to stay out of the area.

The spill shut down a section of FM 20, and the Texas Department of Public Safety said the road would remain closed at least until 8 a.m. Friday.

Magellan’s Longhorn pipeline carries crude oil from the Permian Basin in West Texas to the Houston area, the nation’s biggest refining center. Magellan did not say how long the pipeline might be out of service.

“If it’s down for a substantial period of time, it’s going to impact crude oil available in the Houston market,” Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates LLC in Houston, told Bloomberg News. “If it was a significant problem, some refiners might have to reduce their runs.”

U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said it had responded to the spill and is investigating the cause.

The Railroad Commission of Texas, the state’s oil and gas regulator, also had an investigator at the scene, and will oversee the spill containment and cleanup.

“There are approximately 100 representatives currently working at the site including emergency responders, clean-up and environmental specialists, state and federal regulators and Magellan employees,” Magellan said in a statement. “Actions have been taken to contain the crude oil release to minimize environmental impact and to ensure public safety. The oil has been contained in a small area around the pipeline release and no crude oil has reached any water.”

Cleanup was expected to continue overnight.

Evacuees were sent to River Valley Christian Fellowship Church in Bastrop, but the church could not accommodate pets. Magellan said it would reimburse people for evacuation costs.