Oklahoma gas company says bad workmanship caused explosion

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – A gas utility has said bad workmanship was the cause of a Jan. 2 pipeline explosion that obliterated a northwest Oklahoma City home, damaged dozens of others and severely injured a man.

Oklahoma Natural Gas cited a 3.5 inch crack in a polyethylene pipe and a lack of fusion in a weld seam as the cause of the blast in an incident report filed with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission on Monday.

An Oklahoma Natural Gas employee says the utility didn’t have any additional comment.

Corporation Commission spokesman Matt Skinner says the agency will thoroughly review the report.

The explosion caused more than $509,000 in property damage, including about $5,000 to the utility’s infrastructure. The utility serves about 850,000 customers through 23,200 miles of pipeline.