Reply #5: Story doesn't say that is was freshly drilled, it was found during what .. [View All]

[ebayfool]

looks to have been a routine shutdown. I do doubt the 'drilled' line they are putting out, though. If this was a pressure line, anyone would have to be nuts to attempt to 'drill' a hole in it while it was in use. Holes in pipes are common - can be caused by a multitude of things. Erosion - very common. Piss-poor welding (if it was in a welded seam) is more common than most people would be comfortable with, if it was more widely known. Also very common during turn-arounds where plants are shutdown for maintenance operations, though a nuke plant should not be finding them - their QC people are supposed to be on top of that kind of thing!

Utility companies (as well as big oil!) are very prone to trying to shush any defects that might show lack of maintenance or quality control efforts, in my experience in a past life as a welding inspector.

It would help if the story gave a little more info - like pipe material, location, pressures, etc. But I've found holes in newly-laid pipes big enough to 'Ray Charles' it (holes so obvious you could find 'em w/your eyes closed!).