If I liked the house, this wouldn't deter me. The gas has to get through the neighborhood somehow. I would just make sure I called the gas company prior to doing any excavation.

Every lot in my area has a natural gas line running through it.

No biggie!

Thanks for all your responses! I will find out from my agent what type of gas pipeline it is. If it's for distributing gas to the developement, I guess it won't be a concern. But if it's interstate gas pipeline, there are safety and re-sale value impact concern.

Call the Local gas company and ask them what they have. They keep track of these things far better than anyone else does.

I argued with a realtor and the city zoning people about whether there were water supply lines in a specific place: they said no, but for some reason the water department kept digging up the street there.

A pipe supplying the house will have no affect.

A distribution line would be an issue.

An interstate size gas line is normally run in a very large right of way and even 10 m is pretty close for one to a structure.

The ROW is usually 50-60 feet wide, with the pipe in the middle.

If you make an offer on the house, make it contingent on your review of the easement and plats showing the location of the right of way and the actual pipe.

Do not go just by the description the right of way documents.
You need to see plats and be careful reading them.

Brickeye hit the nail on the head. An interstate pipeline runs through my town. There is no missing it. Every certain number of feet there is a yellow marker on the ground (marker is large, maybe 1' wide and 4' tall?).

If this is a supply for the development (rather than just your house) I would argue it reduces the value of the property as compared to a similar house without such an easement.

I would also want to know the full story behind any easement for a gas pipeline. We owned some undeveloped rural acreage with a gas pipeline through it, and we never could get a straight answer about it, other than they 'thought' it was abandoned. You local gas company may not necessarily know all about your pipeline if you live in an oil and gas producing area. Not all pipelines are the property of large utility companies. There are private well owners and producers, any one of which could have negotiated a deal with a property owner to run a line through their land.

Easements impact what you can and cannot do on your own property. Someone down the line has been compensated for loss of the full use of that land, and there are stipulations about how you can use it, what you can plant on it, and access to the line is granted for maintaining it, although don't hold your breath for the once a year mowing. LOL.

Thanks for all who responded. We found out that the pipeline is acutally a "distribution" pipeline, which delivers gas to the town. Diameter of the pipe is 18''-36''and the pressure in the pipe is 800PSI.

We decided to walk away from it, for the seek of having an ease mind.

We passed on a property that had a 50 ft gas easement that ran right through the middle of the property. Would have made us nervous to use a bar b q grill!

"Thanks for all who responded. We found out that the pipeline is acutally a "distribution" pipeline, which delivers gas to the town. Diameter of the pipe is 18''-36''and the pressure in the pipe is 800PSI.

We decided to walk away from it, for the seek of having an ease mind. "

Oh, I would have walked too!

We live in area of TX where the Barnett Shale NG has become very active over the past 8 yrs. People are selling mineral rights and gas wells are being drilled inside city limits--which people frankly NEVER thought would happen.

Some of these larger distribution lines are now running through neighborhoods where the lots are much smaller than the one the OP was considering. Frankly...if those lines blow--maybe not now but after time/leaks/corrosion have had a chance to work their magic--some of these homes are going to be damaged and people are going to be hurt...

also some people are building swimming pools on lots where lines are buried--
eventhough they are not ON the easement property area, they are going to be wiped out probably...which a transmission line blows (if it does) it is pretty big boom...
and the damages are going to be difficult to recover because the gas transmission company that owns/controls the lines will claim that it is a public entity--like a city or the federal govt--and that you "can't sue City Hall"...and they are likely going to be very unwilling to settle and will have deep pockets to drag out any lawsuits.

we had water line blow in street behind our neighborhood several years ago--it damaged neighborhood bordering the street--not ours. One house had its back fence blown down and the in-ground pool damaged pretty badly...
the city was not willing to pay cost of repairs to the pool--claimed it could not be sued for the damage--and the guy wound up just filling in the pool...HIS insurance would not pay either...

So that is something to consider when you have any type of easement situation--who is liable for damages/recovery?

and you will get plenty of people who tell you that as the homeowner you won't be responsible for your own repairs--but that reassurance is often wrong and worthless when the damage actually occurs...

Don't buy it! Gas lines explode all the time. It's dangerous and gas contaminates the soil and water. The local agencies will not give you a straight answer and I would not trust them. Find another house. I would not take the chance. All gas lines are dangerous and it's just a matter of time before there is a problem. I know.