# Pipeline Blasting (DD-625) > On pipeline projects, blasting is mostly used to break up bedrock so crews can dig the trench for new pipe. The footage shows that kind of blast: a line of charges lifting mud and rock along a slope. Crews try machines first, such as bulldozer-mounted rippers and rock hammers. Pipeline blasting plans filed with U.S. regulators call for explosives only where rock can't be dug economically any other way. The work is tightly controlled. A contractor has to write a site-specific blasting plan and follow state and local explosives rules. Typical plans call for surveys of buildings, wells and utilities within 150 ft before blasting, plus vibration and air-blast monitoring and blasting mats to hold down flying rock. They also require warning signals and inspections afterward. Charges are loaded into drilled holes and fired in sequence a few milliseconds apart, which keeps ground shaking down. FERC also requires a schedule of planned trenching or blasting for each waterbody wider than 10 ft. The Reel says blasting is used to remove old pipelines, but none of the sources I found support that as a normal method. - Department: Tech - First published: 2025-07-28 - Last updated: 2025-07-28 - Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/pipeline-blasting/ - Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department ## Quick facts - **DD-625-F01**: Pipeline blasting mostly breaks bedrock for the trench. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (What gets blasted))_ - **DD-625-F02**: Blasting plans call for pre-blast surveys within 150 ft. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (A written plan))_ ## Write-up Rock in the way? Blast it. Pipeline crews blast bedrock when machines can't dig the trench. 1. **What gets blasted**: On pipeline jobs, blasting mainly breaks bedrock so a trench can be dug for new pipe. 2. **Machines first**: Crews try rippers and rock hammers first. Blasting is for rock that can't be dug economically. 3. **A written plan**: Contractors need a site-specific blasting plan, pre-blast surveys within 150 ft, and vibration monitoring. 4. **Timed charges**: Charges in drilled holes are fired milliseconds apart, and blasting mats hold down flying rock. 5. **Rivers and streams**: FERC requires a schedule of planned trenching or blasting in each waterbody wider than 10 ft. ## Related case files - [Gas Blasting (DD-070)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/gas-blasting/): The gas-pressure alternative to explosives - [Offshore Oil (DD-033)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/offshore-oil/): Another case about oil and gas infrastructure ## Reel vs. record - **Main use**: on pipeline projects, blasting mostly breaks bedrock so a trench can be dug for new pipe. It isn't mainly used on the pipeline itself. - **Note**: 'Remove old or obstructed pipeline segments': none of my sources describe blasting as a normal way to remove old pipe. Retired lines are usually dug out or left in place. - **Last resort**: pipeline blasting plans call for machines such as rippers and rock hammers first, with explosives only where rock can't be dug economically. - **Note**: 'Controlled' in practice means written blasting plans, surveys of nearby buildings and wells, vibration monitoring and blasting mats. - **Note**: 'Compressed gases': gas-pressure rock breaking does exist (see Gas Blasting), but the blasting plans I found list commercial explosives fired by delay detonators. ## Video: Pipeline Blasting: Rock in the Way? Blast It - Duration: 20.7 s · Published: 2025-07-28 - File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DMrVtyNM5SM.mp4 ### Transcript DID YOU KNOW? Pipeline blasting is a controlled method used to clear, shape, or remove sections of pipeline infrastructure, typically involving the use of high-energy explosives or compressed gases. In construction or decommissioning, blasting may be employed to remove old or obstructed pipeline segments buried underground or submerged underwater, especially when mechanical removal is impractical. NOW YOU KNOW! ## Questions & answers **Q: What is blasting mostly used for on pipeline projects?** A: It clears rock so the trench can be dug. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (What gets blasted) · Mountain Valley Pipeline: General Blasting Plan (Apr 2016, rev. Feb 2017), FERC Docket CP16-10; Ruby Pipeline: Appendix M, Blasting Plan (BLM))_ **Q: What do crews try before blasting?** A: Blasting is for rock machines can't dig economically. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Machines first) · Ruby Pipeline: Appendix M, Blasting Plan (BLM); ET Rover Pipeline: Appendix G-7 (FERC))_ **Q: How far out do typical plans survey structures and wells?** A: Pre-blast surveys within 150 ft. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (A written plan) · Mountain Valley Pipeline: General Blasting Plan (Apr 2016, rev. Feb 2017), FERC Docket CP16-10)_ **Q: Why are charges fired milliseconds apart?** A: Delays keep vibration down. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Timed charges) · Mountain Valley Pipeline: General Blasting Plan (Apr 2016, rev. Feb 2017), FERC Docket CP16-10)_ **Q: What holds down flying rock?** A: Heavy mats cover the blast area. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Timed charges) · Mountain Valley Pipeline: General Blasting Plan (Apr 2016, rev. Feb 2017), FERC Docket CP16-10)_ ## Sources - [Mountain Valley Pipeline: General Blasting Plan (Apr 2016, rev. Feb 2017), FERC Docket CP16-10](https://www.mountainvalleypipeline.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Appendix-J.pdf) - [Ruby Pipeline: Appendix M, Blasting Plan (BLM)](https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/nv_rubypipeline_Appendix%20M%20Blasting%20Plan.pdf) - [ET Rover Pipeline: Appendix G-7 (FERC)](https://www.ferc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/Appendix-G-7.pdf) - [FERC: Pipeline Construction and Restoration Requirements for Wetlands and Waterbodies](https://www.ferc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/FERC%E2%80%99sPipelineConstructionandRestorationRequirementsforWetlandsandWaterbodiesGuide.pdf) ## Cite this case file Easterling, Marcus. "Pipeline Blasting." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-625, last updated Jul 28, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/pipeline-blasting/