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Significant Pipeline Incidents By Cause

This report is a sub-report of the PHMSA Significant Pipeline Incidents report. As such, it represents Significant Incidents (A) only over the time period and pipeline system specified.

The data source for this table is the PHMSA Filtered Incident Files. (1) (2) (3)

More Pipeline Incidents and Mileage Reports are available.

Important Update: As of October 2009, these reports were modified to exclude Gas Distribution incidents where fire/explosion was the primary cause of failure, such as a house fire that subsequently resulted in - but was not caused by - a distribution line failure (B)
National All Pipeline Systems: Significant Incident Details: 1989-2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
CORROSION, EXTERNAL 196 3.4% 3 24 $237,186,104 5.7%
CORROSION, INTERNAL 187 3.3% 0 1 $80,614,004 1.9%
VARIOUS 650 11.5% 25 69 $264,567,918 6.3%
Sub Total 1,033 18.3% 28 94 $582,368,028 14.0%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 52 0.9% 1 10 $14,393,167 0.3%
THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 254 4.5% 21 46 $93,704,895 2.2%
VARIOUS 1,165 20.7% 121 535 $426,291,827 10.3%
Sub Total 1,471 26.1% 143 591 $534,389,890 12.9%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 99 1.7% 7 31 $23,027,872 0.5%
VARIOUS 217 3.8% 4 114 $31,224,791 0.7%
Sub Total 316 5.6% 11 145 $54,252,663 1.3%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
BODY OF PIPE 48 0.8% 0 6 $32,932,374 0.8%
BUTT WELD 40 0.7% 0 0 $37,083,742 0.9%
COMPONENT 68 1.2% 0 4 $48,535,070 1.1%
FILLET WELD 19 0.3% 0 0 $23,301,031 0.5%
JOINT 40 0.7% 2 1 $10,828,071 0.2%
MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT 62 1.1% 0 2 $9,499,435 0.2%
PIPE SEAM WELD 51 0.9% 0 0 $64,807,789 1.5%
RUPTURED OR LEAKING SEAL/PUMP PACKING 56 1.0% 0 2 $21,461,053 0.5%
THREADS STRIPPED, BROKEN PIPE COUPLING 37 0.6% 0 4 $7,882,153 0.1%
VARIOUS 480 8.5% 8 113 $221,445,267 5.3%
Sub Total 901 16.0% 10 132 $477,775,989 11.5%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
EARTH MOVEMENT 40 0.7% 0 (F) 5 $258,175,311 6.2%
HEAVY RAINS/FLOODS 86 1.5% 0 (F) 1 $798,579,548 19.3%
HIGH WINDS 29 0.5% 1 (F) 3 $421,852,616 10.2%
LIGHTNING 25 0.4% 4 (F) 1 $24,382,454 0.5%
TEMPERATURE 15 0.2% 3 (F) 1 $8,151,587 0.2%
VARIOUS 300 5.3% 22 (F) 99 $185,685,231 4.4%
Sub Total 495 8.8% 30 110 $1,696,826,748 41.0%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 108 1.9% 8 28 $106,854,453 2.5%
FIRE/EXPLOSION AS PRIMARY CAUSE 10 0.1% 0 1 $8,210,047 0.2%
RUPTURE OF PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED PIPE 16 0.2% 0 1 $25,616,665 0.6%
VANDALISM 12 0.2% 3 7 $1,684,070 0.0%
Sub Total 146 2.6% 11 37 $142,365,237 3.4%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
MISCELLANEOUS 138 2.4% 3 26 $68,467,826 1.6%
UNKNOWN 102 1.8% 20 57 $144,351,342 3.4%
VARIOUS 1,024 18.2% 140 458 $436,452,228 10.5%
Sub Total 1,264 22.4% 163 541 $649,271,397 15.6%
Totals 5,626 100.0% 396 1,650 $4,137,249,955 100.0%
Export Table
National, All Pipeline Systems, 1989-2008

National, All Pipeline Systems, Significant Incidents 1989-2008

Source Data

Year ALL OTHER CAUSES NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE EXCAVATION DAMAGE INCORRECT OPERATION OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE CORROSION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
1989 76 19 92 17 0 41 32
1990 62 20 75 14 0 40 42
1991 54 20 92 15 0 60 38
1992 80 16 89 14 0 42 43
1993 78 24 89 18 0 44 40
1994 87 40 75 16 0 54 54
1995 55 26 76 30 0 38 34
1996 75 15 97 16 0 63 35
1997 78 18 72 13 0 59 27
1998 76 25 87 12 0 56 39
1999 90 14 76 19 0 40 36
2000 95 12 81 13 0 58 31
2001 59 14 80 12 0 50 18
2002 38 21 55 15 10 57 62
2003 48 28 82 15 13 47 64
2004 34 46 69 13 21 65 63
2005 34 78 46 19 33 53 75
2006 46 11 43 11 28 56 62
2007 51 17 57 11 17 64 51
2008 48 31 38 23 24 46 55
Export Table
National Hazardous Liquid: Significant Incident Details: 1989-2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
CORROSION, EXTERNAL 122 4.3% 0 15 $83,319,779 4.7%
CORROSION, INTERNAL 88 3.1% 0 0 $16,952,051 0.9%
VARIOUS 449 15.9% 0 2 $205,241,744 11.7%
Sub Total 659 23.4% 0 17 $305,513,575 17.5%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 33 1.1% 0 1 $11,634,540 0.6%
THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 92 3.2% 5 6 $39,171,718 2.2%
VARIOUS 467 16.6% 8 72 $179,345,920 10.3%
Sub Total 592 21.0% 13 79 $230,152,179 13.2%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 58 2.0% 5 4 $14,960,950 0.8%
VARIOUS 145 5.1% 1 20 $27,865,525 1.6%
Sub Total 203 7.2% 6 24 $42,826,475 2.4%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
BODY OF PIPE 23 0.8% 0 0 $18,818,830 1.0%
BUTT WELD 17 0.6% 0 0 $22,233,906 1.2%
COMPONENT 42 1.4% 0 1 $22,946,286 1.3%
FILLET WELD 14 0.5% 0 0 $20,963,947 1.2%
JOINT 18 0.6% 0 0 $4,714,013 0.2%
MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT 34 1.2% 0 0 $1,938,329 0.1%
PIPE SEAM WELD 37 1.3% 0 0 $60,521,522 3.4%
RUPTURED OR LEAKING SEAL/PUMP PACKING 50 1.7% 0 0 $9,071,666 0.5%
THREADS STRIPPED, BROKEN PIPE COUPLING 26 0.9% 0 0 $2,928,686 0.1%
VARIOUS 314 11.1% 0 3 $162,375,738 9.3%
Sub Total 575 20.4% 0 4 $326,512,926 18.7%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
EARTH MOVEMENT 12 0.4% 0 (F) 0 $62,144,917 3.5%
HEAVY RAINS/FLOODS 11 0.3% 0 (F) 0 $54,837,154 3.1%
HIGH WINDS 12 0.4% 0 (F) 0 $242,499,034 13.9%
LIGHTNING 18 0.6% 0 (F) 0 $22,247,716 1.2%
TEMPERATURE 10 0.3% 0 (F) 0 $7,256,953 0.4%
VARIOUS 57 2.0% 0 (F) 1 $81,557,133 4.6%
Sub Total 120 4.2% 0 1 $470,542,909 27.0%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 15 0.5% 1 0 $26,428,652 1.5%
FIRE/EXPLOSION AS PRIMARY CAUSE 5 0.1% 0 0 $3,175,110 0.1%
RUPTURE OF PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED PIPE 8 0.2% 0 0 $18,053,924 1.0%
VANDALISM 6 0.2% 0 1 $1,033,260 0.0%
Sub Total 34 1.2% 1 1 $48,690,948 2.8%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
MISCELLANEOUS 62 2.2% 0 1 $17,713,712 1.0%
UNKNOWN 20 0.7% 3 8 $71,586,122 4.1%
VARIOUS 545 19.4% 18 80 $227,368,344 13.0%
Sub Total 627 22.3% 21 89 $316,668,180 18.1%
Totals 2,810 100.0% 41 215 $1,740,907,195 100.0%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid, 1989-2008

National, Hazardous Liquid, Significant Incidents 1989-2008

Source Data

Year ALL OTHER CAUSES NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE EXCAVATION DAMAGE INCORRECT OPERATION OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE CORROSION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
1989 31 3 41 11 0 27 23
1990 41 2 34 10 0 27 26
1991 30 5 42 11 0 47 31
1992 46 1 49 11 0 34 29
1993 39 5 47 11 0 28 24
1994 54 13 29 9 0 30 43
1995 33 10 35 24 0 32 22
1996 44 2 42 10 0 53 23
1997 46 4 36 10 0 46 20
1998 39 7 32 6 0 34 22
1999 60 2 25 14 0 24 22
2000 40 0 34 9 0 31 21
2001 36 3 21 9 0 33 6
2002 13 5 24 8 5 36 42
2003 13 7 19 7 5 29 41
2004 12 16 23 4 6 36 37
2005 13 17 12 9 6 28 44
2006 12 5 13 6 6 32 32
2007 13 8 17 9 4 25 31
2008 12 5 17 15 2 27 36
Export Table
National Hazardous Liquid Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 1989-2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
CORROSION, EXTERNAL 119 4.2% 0 15 $82,145,735 4.7%
CORROSION, INTERNAL 88 3.1% 0 0 $16,952,051 0.9%
VARIOUS 434 15.4% 0 2 $201,714,207 11.5%
Sub Total 641 22.8% 0 17 $300,811,995 17.2%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 33 1.1% 0 1 $11,634,540 0.6%
THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 92 3.2% 5 6 $39,171,718 2.2%
VARIOUS 451 16.0% 8 72 $144,195,637 8.2%
Sub Total 576 20.5% 13 79 $195,001,896 11.2%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 58 2.0% 5 4 $14,960,950 0.8%
VARIOUS 145 5.1% 1 20 $27,865,525 1.6%
Sub Total 203 7.2% 6 24 $42,826,475 2.4%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
BODY OF PIPE 23 0.8% 0 0 $18,818,830 1.0%
BUTT WELD 17 0.6% 0 0 $22,233,906 1.2%
COMPONENT 40 1.4% 0 1 $9,300,200 0.5%
FILLET WELD 14 0.5% 0 0 $20,963,947 1.2%
JOINT 18 0.6% 0 0 $4,714,013 0.2%
MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT 34 1.2% 0 0 $1,938,329 0.1%
PIPE SEAM WELD 37 1.3% 0 0 $60,521,522 3.4%
RUPTURED OR LEAKING SEAL/PUMP PACKING 49 1.7% 0 0 $8,499,238 0.4%
THREADS STRIPPED, BROKEN PIPE COUPLING 26 0.9% 0 0 $2,928,686 0.1%
VARIOUS 312 11.1% 0 3 $157,762,310 9.0%
Sub Total 570 20.2% 0 4 $307,680,984 17.6%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
EARTH MOVEMENT 10 0.3% 0 (F) 0 $27,886,204 1.6%
HEAVY RAINS/FLOODS 9 0.3% 0 (F) 0 $43,963,715 2.5%
HIGH WINDS 2 0.0% 0 (F) 0 $184,876,397 10.6%
LIGHTNING 18 0.6% 0 (F) 0 $22,247,716 1.2%
TEMPERATURE 10 0.3% 0 (F) 0 $7,256,953 0.4%
VARIOUS 52 1.8% 0 (F) 1 $66,088,871 3.8%
Sub Total 101 3.5% 0 1 $352,319,859 20.2%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 11 0.3% 1 0 $16,259,394 0.9%
FIRE/EXPLOSION AS PRIMARY CAUSE 5 0.1% 0 0 $3,175,110 0.1%
RUPTURE OF PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED PIPE 8 0.2% 0 0 $18,053,924 1.0%
VANDALISM 6 0.2% 0 1 $1,033,260 0.0%
Sub Total 30 1.0% 1 1 $38,521,691 2.2%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
MISCELLANEOUS 60 2.1% 0 1 $16,837,250 0.9%
UNKNOWN 17 0.6% 3 8 $50,806,256 2.9%
VARIOUS 528 18.7% 18 80 $215,378,406 12.3%
Sub Total 605 21.5% 21 89 $283,021,913 16.2%
Totals 2,726 97.0% 41 215 $1,520,184,817 87.3%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid Onshore, 1989-2008

National, Hazardous Liquid Onshore, Significant Incidents 1989-2008

Source Data

Year ALL OTHER CAUSES NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE EXCAVATION DAMAGE INCORRECT OPERATION OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE CORROSION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
1989 31 3 40 11 0 27 23
1990 39 2 33 10 0 27 26
1991 30 5 41 11 0 47 31
1992 45 0 46 11 0 34 29
1993 39 5 46 11 0 27 24
1994 54 12 29 9 0 29 43
1995 32 10 34 24 0 32 22
1996 43 2 42 10 0 51 23
1997 43 4 33 10 0 44 19
1998 38 4 30 6 0 31 22
1999 56 2 24 14 0 24 21
2000 37 0 32 9 0 29 21
2001 35 3 21 9 0 30 6
2002 13 5 24 8 4 33 42
2003 13 7 19 7 5 29 41
2004 11 10 23 4 5 36 35
2005 12 11 12 9 5 28 43
2006 11 4 13 6 5 32 32
2007 12 8 17 9 4 24 31
2008 11 4 17 15 2 27 36
Export Table
National Hazardous Liquid Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 1989-2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
CORROSION, EXTERNAL 3 0.1% 0 0 $1,174,043 0.0%
VARIOUS 15 0.5% 0 0 $3,527,536 0.2%
Sub Total 18 0.6% 0 0 $4,701,579 0.2%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 16 0.5% 0 0 $35,150,282 2.0%
Sub Total 16 0.5% 0 0 $35,150,282 2.0%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
COMPONENT 2 0.0% 0 0 $13,646,086 0.7%
RUPTURED OR LEAKING SEAL/PUMP PACKING 1 0.0% 0 0 $572,428 0.0%
VARIOUS 2 0.0% 0 0 $4,613,427 0.2%
Sub Total 5 0.1% 0 0 $18,831,941 1.0%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
EARTH MOVEMENT 2 0.0% 0 (F) 0 $34,258,712 1.9%
HEAVY RAINS/FLOODS 2 0.0% 0 (F) 0 $10,873,438 0.6%
HIGH WINDS 10 0.3% 0 (F) 0 $57,622,637 3.3%
VARIOUS 5 0.1% 0 (F) 0 $15,468,262 0.8%
Sub Total 19 0.6% 0 0 $118,223,050 6.7%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 4 0.1% 0 0 $10,169,257 0.5%
Sub Total 4 0.1% 0 0 $10,169,257 0.5%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
MISCELLANEOUS 3 0.1% 0 0 $975,995 0.0%
UNKNOWN 3 0.1% 0 0 $20,779,866 1.1%
VARIOUS 17 0.6% 0 0 $11,989,938 0.6%
Sub Total 23 0.8% 0 0 $33,745,800 1.9%
Totals 85 3.0% 0 0 $220,821,911 12.6%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid Offshore, 1989-2008

National, Hazardous Liquid Offshore, Significant Incidents 1989-2008

Source Data

Year ALL OTHER CAUSES NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE EXCAVATION DAMAGE INCORRECT OPERATION OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE CORROSION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
1989 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
1990 2 0 1 0 0 0 0
1991 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
1992 1 1 3 0 0 0 0
1993 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
1994 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
1995 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
1996 1 0 0 0 0 2 0
1997 3 0 3 0 0 2 1
1998 1 3 2 0 0 3 0
1999 4 0 1 0 0 0 1
2000 3 0 2 0 0 2 0
2001 1 0 0 0 0 3 0
2002 1 0 0 0 1 3 0
2004 1 6 0 0 1 0 2
2005 1 6 0 0 1 0 1
2006 1 1 0 0 1 0 0
2007 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
2008 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Export Table
National Gas Transmission: Significant Incident Details: 1989-2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
CORROSION, EXTERNAL 57 5.3% 1 2 $150,486,525 14.2%
CORROSION, INTERNAL 66 6.1% 0 0 $44,852,321 4.2%
VARIOUS 127 11.8% 12 3 $43,078,616 4.0%
Sub Total 250 23.3% 13 5 $238,417,464 22.5%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 12 1.1% 0 3 $1,771,997 0.1%
THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 56 5.2% 6 4 $16,482,884 1.5%
VARIOUS 158 14.7% 29 67 $102,588,430 9.6%
Sub Total 226 21.1% 35 74 $120,843,311 11.4%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 19 1.7% 0 7 $4,427,093 0.4%
Sub Total 19 1.7% 0 7 $4,427,093 0.4%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
BODY OF PIPE 19 1.7% 0 0 $12,531,590 1.1%
BUTT WELD 22 2.0% 0 0 $14,494,336 1.3%
COMPONENT 17 1.5% 0 1 $6,955,366 0.6%
FILLET WELD 5 0.4% 0 0 $2,337,084 0.2%
JOINT 13 1.2% 0 0 $3,371,211 0.3%
MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT 21 1.9% 0 2 $6,086,017 0.5%
PIPE SEAM WELD 14 1.3% 0 0 $4,286,267 0.4%
RUPTURED OR LEAKING SEAL/PUMP PACKING 5 0.4% 0 2 $12,239,387 1.1%
THREADS STRIPPED, BROKEN PIPE COUPLING 8 0.7% 0 3 $3,204,563 0.3%
VARIOUS 77 7.1% 1 12 $46,275,616 4.3%
Sub Total 201 18.7% 1 20 $111,781,440 10.5%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
EARTH MOVEMENT 11 1.0% 0 0 $10,764,772 1.0%
HEAVY RAINS/FLOODS 55 5.1% 0 0 $210,721,607 19.9%
HIGH WINDS 8 0.7% 0 0 $111,686,069 10.5%
LIGHTNING 3 0.2% 0 0 $998,001 0.0%
VARIOUS 46 4.3% 0 2 $49,945,148 4.7%
Sub Total 123 11.4% 0 2 $384,115,599 36.3%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 32 2.9% 0 5 $35,900,938 3.3%
FIRE/EXPLOSION AS PRIMARY CAUSE 5 0.4% 0 1 $5,034,936 0.4%
RUPTURE OF PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED PIPE 4 0.3% 0 1 $3,898,207 0.3%
VANDALISM 1 0.0% 0 0 $157,361 0.0%
Sub Total 42 3.9% 0 7 $44,991,445 4.2%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
MISCELLANEOUS 44 4.1% 0 3 $37,527,602 3.5%
UNKNOWN 21 1.9% 0 1 $31,665,634 2.9%
VARIOUS 145 13.5% 8 81 $84,485,452 7.9%
Sub Total 210 19.6% 8 85 $153,678,689 14.5%
Totals 1,071 100.0% 57 200 $1,058,255,042 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission, 1989-2008

National, Gas Transmission, Significant Incidents 1989-2008

Source Data

Year ALL OTHER CAUSES NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE EXCAVATION DAMAGE INCORRECT OPERATION OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE CORROSION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
1989 13 0 15 0 0 7 5
1990 8 6 14 0 0 10 8
1991 6 2 12 0 0 7 2
1992 14 5 12 0 0 6 5
1993 19 6 6 0 0 10 9
1994 9 4 12 0 0 16 4
1995 9 6 8 0 0 2 7
1996 9 1 19 0 0 8 6
1997 6 4 11 0 0 9 3
1998 12 3 12 0 0 13 11
1999 10 3 11 0 0 8 6
2000 16 3 11 0 0 21 3
2001 14 3 15 0 0 10 8
2002 5 5 7 1 4 17 17
2003 9 2 11 6 7 16 19
2004 4 7 13 1 5 18 14
2005 9 43 10 3 9 15 22
2006 16 1 9 3 8 15 27
2007 13 3 10 2 4 30 13
2008 9 16 8 3 5 12 12
Export Table
National Gas Transmission Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 1989-2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
CORROSION, EXTERNAL 56 5.2% 1 2 $150,291,692 14.2%
CORROSION, INTERNAL 23 2.1% 0 0 $24,944,061 2.3%
VARIOUS 85 7.9% 12 3 $33,392,070 3.1%
Sub Total 164 15.3% 13 5 $208,627,824 19.7%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 12 1.1% 0 3 $1,771,997 0.1%
THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 55 5.1% 6 4 $14,833,974 1.4%
VARIOUS 127 11.8% 11 47 $67,364,381 6.3%
Sub Total 194 18.1% 17 54 $83,970,353 7.9%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 18 1.6% 0 7 $3,691,694 0.3%
Sub Total 18 1.6% 0 7 $3,691,694 0.3%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
BODY OF PIPE 18 1.6% 0 0 $12,419,414 1.1%
BUTT WELD 19 1.7% 0 0 $13,491,627 1.2%
COMPONENT 7 0.6% 0 1 $1,497,463 0.1%
FILLET WELD 5 0.4% 0 0 $2,337,084 0.2%
JOINT 10 0.9% 0 0 $2,602,145 0.2%
MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT 21 1.9% 0 2 $6,086,017 0.5%
PIPE SEAM WELD 14 1.3% 0 0 $4,286,267 0.4%
RUPTURED OR LEAKING SEAL/PUMP PACKING 5 0.4% 0 2 $12,239,387 1.1%
THREADS STRIPPED, BROKEN PIPE COUPLING 7 0.6% 0 3 $2,939,204 0.2%
VARIOUS 59 5.5% 1 12 $39,925,076 3.7%
Sub Total 165 15.4% 1 20 $97,823,688 9.2%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
EARTH MOVEMENT 8 0.7% 0 0 $7,379,067 0.7%
HEAVY RAINS/FLOODS 11 1.0% 0 0 $78,213,020 7.3%
HIGH WINDS 4 0.3% 0 0 $78,987,415 7.4%
LIGHTNING 3 0.2% 0 0 $998,001 0.0%
VARIOUS 38 3.5% 0 2 $38,906,086 3.6%
Sub Total 64 5.9% 0 2 $204,483,592 19.3%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 18 1.6% 0 5 $11,410,870 1.0%
FIRE/EXPLOSION AS PRIMARY CAUSE 5 0.4% 0 1 $5,034,936 0.4%
RUPTURE OF PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED PIPE 3 0.2% 0 1 $2,109,695 0.2%
VANDALISM 1 0.0% 0 0 $157,361 0.0%
Sub Total 27 2.5% 0 7 $18,712,864 1.7%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
MISCELLANEOUS 34 3.1% 0 3 $16,129,009 1.5%
UNKNOWN 13 1.2% 0 1 $29,477,042 2.7%
VARIOUS 138 12.8% 6 79 $83,124,109 7.8%
Sub Total 185 17.2% 6 83 $128,730,162 12.1%
Totals 817 76.2% 37 178 $746,040,179 70.5%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission Onshore, 1989-2008

National, Gas Transmission Onshore, Significant Incidents 1989-2008

Source Data

Year ALL OTHER CAUSES NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE EXCAVATION DAMAGE INCORRECT OPERATION OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE CORROSION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
1989 12 0 11 0 0 3 3
1990 7 6 13 0 0 5 5
1991 6 2 12 0 0 5 2
1992 14 2 8 0 0 5 3
1993 17 6 4 0 0 10 6
1994 9 4 7 0 0 10 4
1995 7 4 5 0 0 1 5
1996 9 0 16 0 0 6 3
1997 6 3 8 0 0 6 3
1998 12 3 9 0 0 8 8
1999 10 3 10 0 0 5 6
2000 16 3 10 0 0 13 3
2001 13 2 14 0 0 8 8
2002 3 3 7 1 2 9 15
2003 9 1 10 6 6 11 19
2004 4 2 13 1 3 6 14
2005 8 11 10 2 4 11 18
2006 9 1 9 3 6 11 21
2007 9 3 10 2 1 21 9
2008 5 5 8 3 5 10 10
Export Table
National Gas Transmission Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 1989-2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
CORROSION, EXTERNAL 1 0.0% 0 0 $194,833 0.0%
CORROSION, INTERNAL 43 4.0% 0 0 $19,908,260 1.8%
VARIOUS 42 3.9% 0 0 $9,686,545 0.9%
Sub Total 86 8.0% 0 0 $29,789,639 2.8%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 1 0.0% 0 0 $1,648,909 0.1%
VARIOUS 31 2.8% 18 20 $35,224,048 3.3%
Sub Total 32 2.9% 18 20 $36,872,958 3.4%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 1 0.0% 0 0 $735,398 0.0%
Sub Total 1 0.0% 0 0 $735,398 0.0%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
BODY OF PIPE 1 0.0% 0 0 $112,175 0.0%
BUTT WELD 3 0.2% 0 0 $1,002,708 0.0%
COMPONENT 10 0.9% 0 0 $5,457,902 0.5%
JOINT 3 0.2% 0 0 $769,065 0.0%
THREADS STRIPPED, BROKEN PIPE COUPLING 1 0.0% 0 0 $265,359 0.0%
VARIOUS 18 1.6% 0 0 $6,350,539 0.6%
Sub Total 36 3.3% 0 0 $13,957,751 1.3%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
EARTH MOVEMENT 3 0.2% 0 0 $3,385,705 0.3%
HEAVY RAINS/FLOODS 44 4.1% 0 0 $132,508,586 12.5%
HIGH WINDS 4 0.3% 0 0 $32,698,653 3.0%
VARIOUS 8 0.7% 0 0 $11,039,061 1.0%
Sub Total 59 5.5% 0 0 $179,632,007 16.9%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 14 1.3% 0 0 $24,490,068 2.3%
RUPTURE OF PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED PIPE 1 0.0% 0 0 $1,788,512 0.1%
Sub Total 15 1.4% 0 0 $26,278,580 2.4%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
MISCELLANEOUS 10 0.9% 0 0 $21,398,592 2.0%
UNKNOWN 8 0.7% 0 0 $2,188,591 0.2%
VARIOUS 7 0.6% 2 2 $1,361,342 0.1%
Sub Total 25 2.3% 2 2 $24,948,526 2.3%
Totals 254 23.7% 20 22 $312,214,863 29.5%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission Offshore, 1989-2008

National, Gas Transmission Offshore, Significant Incidents 1989-2008

Source Data

Year ALL OTHER CAUSES NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE EXCAVATION DAMAGE INCORRECT OPERATION OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE CORROSION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
1989 1 0 4 0 0 4 2
1990 1 0 1 0 0 5 3
1991 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
1992 0 3 4 0 0 1 2
1993 2 0 2 0 0 0 3
1994 0 0 5 0 0 6 0
1995 2 2 3 0 0 1 2
1996 0 1 3 0 0 2 3
1997 0 1 3 0 0 3 0
1998 0 0 3 0 0 5 3
1999 0 0 1 0 0 3 0
2000 0 0 1 0 0 8 0
2001 1 1 1 0 0 2 0
2002 2 2 0 0 2 8 2
2003 0 1 1 0 1 5 0
2004 0 5 0 0 2 12 0
2005 1 32 0 1 5 4 4
2006 7 0 0 0 2 4 6
2007 4 0 0 0 3 9 4
2008 4 11 0 0 0 2 2
Export Table
National Gas Gathering: Significant Incident Details: 1989-2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
CORROSION, EXTERNAL 5 4.2% 0 0 $1,894,202 0.5%
CORROSION, INTERNAL 32 27.1% 0 0 $18,355,215 5.1%
VARIOUS 21 17.8% 0 4 $7,742,981 2.1%
Sub Total 58 49.1% 0 4 $27,992,398 7.8%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 1 0.8% 0 0 $113,577 0.0%
VARIOUS 12 10.1% 0 2 $12,370,619 3.4%
Sub Total 13 11.0% 0 2 $12,484,196 3.5%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 2 1.6% 0 3 $22,715 0.0%
Sub Total 2 1.6% 0 3 $22,715 0.0%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
COMPONENT 5 4.2% 0 1 $17,639,812 4.9%
JOINT 2 1.6% 0 0 $383,088 0.1%
MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT 1 0.8% 0 0 $92,678 0.0%
THREADS STRIPPED, BROKEN PIPE COUPLING 2 1.6% 0 0 $1,745,430 0.4%
VARIOUS 7 5.9% 0 2 $2,500,789 0.7%
Sub Total 17 14.4% 0 3 $22,361,800 6.2%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
EARTH MOVEMENT 6 5.0% 0 0 $179,634,128 50.4%
HEAVY RAINS/FLOODS 3 2.5% 0 0 $883,338 0.2%
HIGH WINDS 3 2.5% 0 0 $45,423,739 12.7%
VARIOUS 1 0.8% 0 0 $433,451 0.1%
Sub Total 13 11.0% 0 0 $226,374,658 63.5%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 3 2.5% 0 1 $30,612,871 8.6%
RUPTURE OF PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED PIPE 1 0.8% 0 0 $1,915,017 0.5%
Sub Total 4 3.3% 0 1 $32,527,888 9.1%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
MISCELLANEOUS 4 3.3% 0 0 $6,309,585 1.7%
UNKNOWN 3 2.5% 0 0 $26,625,957 7.4%
VARIOUS 4 3.3% 0 0 $1,311,451 0.3%
Sub Total 11 9.3% 0 0 $34,246,994 9.6%
Totals 118 100.0% 0 13 $356,010,653 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Gathering, 1989-2008

National, Gas Gathering, Significant Incidents 1989-2008

Source Data

Year ALL OTHER CAUSES NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE EXCAVATION DAMAGE INCORRECT OPERATION OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE CORROSION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
1989 1 0 1 0 0 2 0
1990 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
1991 0 1 3 0 0 0 0
1992 1 0 3 0 0 0 2
1993 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1994 0 0 1 0 0 4 0
1995 1 0 0 0 0 1 1
1997 0 0 1 0 0 1 1
1998 0 0 1 0 0 5 1
1999 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
2000 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
2001 0 0 2 0 0 3 1
2002 0 1 0 0 1 2 0
2003 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
2004 0 2 1 1 0 6 2
2005 0 7 0 1 1 8 1
2006 2 0 0 0 1 6 3
2007 1 0 0 0 0 8 1
2008 4 2 0 0 1 5 2
Export Table
National Gas Distribution: Significant Incident Details: 1989-2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
CORROSION, EXTERNAL 12 0.7% 2 7 $1,485,597 0.1%
CORROSION, INTERNAL 1 0.0% 0 1 $454,416 0.0%
VARIOUS 53 3.2% 13 60 $8,504,575 0.8%
Sub Total 66 4.0% 15 68 $10,444,589 1.0%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 7 0.4% 1 6 $986,630 0.1%
THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 105 6.4% 10 36 $37,936,714 3.8%
VARIOUS 528 32.4% 84 394 $131,986,857 13.4%
Sub Total 640 39.3% 95 436 $170,910,202 17.4%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 20 1.2% 2 17 $3,617,113 0.3%
VARIOUS 72 4.4% 3 94 $3,359,266 0.3%
Sub Total 92 5.6% 5 111 $6,976,379 0.7%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
BODY OF PIPE 6 0.3% 0 6 $1,581,954 0.1%
BUTT WELD 1 0.0% 0 0 $355,500 0.0%
COMPONENT 4 0.2% 0 1 $993,604 0.1%
JOINT 7 0.4% 2 1 $2,359,757 0.2%
MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT 6 0.3% 0 0 $1,382,409 0.1%
RUPTURED OR LEAKING SEAL/PUMP PACKING 1 0.0% 0 0 $150,000 0.0%
THREADS STRIPPED, BROKEN PIPE COUPLING 1 0.0% 0 1 $3,473 0.0%
VARIOUS 82 5.0% 7 96 $10,293,124 1.0%
Sub Total 108 6.6% 9 105 $17,119,822 1.7%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
EARTH MOVEMENT 11 0.6% 0 5 $5,631,492 0.5%
HEAVY RAINS/FLOODS 17 1.0% 0 1 $532,137,448 54.1%
HIGH WINDS 6 0.3% 1 3 $22,243,772 2.2%
LIGHTNING 4 0.2% 4 1 $1,136,736 0.1%
TEMPERATURE 5 0.3% 3 1 $894,634 0.0%
VARIOUS 196 12.0% 22 96 $53,749,497 5.4%
Sub Total 239 14.6% 30 107 $615,793,580 62.7%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 58 3.5% 7 22 $13,911,991 1.4%
RUPTURE OF PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED PIPE 3 0.1% 0 0 $1,749,515 0.1%
VANDALISM 5 0.3% 3 6 $493,447 0.0%
Sub Total 66 4.0% 10 28 $16,154,954 1.6%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
MISCELLANEOUS 28 1.7% 3 22 $6,916,926 0.7%
UNKNOWN 58 3.5% 17 48 $14,473,627 1.4%
VARIOUS 330 20.2% 114 297 $123,286,979 12.5%
Sub Total 416 25.5% 134 367 $144,677,533 14.7%
Totals 1,627 100.0% 298 1,222 $982,077,063 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Distribution, 1989-2008

National, Gas Distribution, Significant Incidents 1989-2008

Source Data

Year ALL OTHER CAUSES NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE EXCAVATION DAMAGE INCORRECT OPERATION OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE CORROSION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
1989 31 16 35 6 0 5 4
1990 13 12 27 4 0 3 7
1991 18 12 35 4 0 6 5
1992 19 10 25 3 0 2 7
1993 20 13 36 7 0 5 7
1994 24 23 33 7 0 4 7
1995 12 10 33 6 0 3 4
1996 22 12 36 6 0 2 6
1997 26 10 24 3 0 3 3
1998 25 15 42 6 0 4 5
1999 19 9 40 5 0 7 8
2000 39 9 36 4 0 3 7
2001 9 8 42 3 0 4 3
2002 20 10 24 6 0 2 3
2003 26 19 52 2 1 0 3
2004 18 21 32 7 10 5 10
2005 12 11 24 6 17 2 8
2006 16 5 21 2 13 3 0
2007 24 6 30 0 9 1 6
2008 23 8 13 5 16 2 5
Export Table

Notes

  1. Significant Incidents are those incidents reported by pipeline operators with any of the following conditions are met: 1) fatality or injury requiring in-patient hospitalization. 2) $50,000 or more in total costs, measured in 1984 dollars. 3) highly volatile liquid releases of 5 barrels or more or other liquid releases of 50 barrels or more. 4) liquid releases resulting in an unintentional fire or explosion. Note: Significant Incidents include all Serious Incidents. Unless otherwise noted, any counts of Significant Incidents also include Serious Incidents.
  2. Gas Distribution incidents where fire/explosion was the primary cause of failure, such as a house fire that subsequently resulted in - but was not caused by - a distribution line failure are excluded from 2004 onward. This exclusion has not been applied in years prior to 2004 due to difficulty in identifying these types of events with the older report formats.
  3. PHMSA has gathered increasingly targeted incident cause data over time. As such, the available reportable categories of cause (eg: Internal/External Corrosion vs Corrosion in general) have increased over time. This report spans time periods over which the reportable cause categories have changed. The cause categories in this report should be taken as general and not specific for years prior to 2002 for Liquid and Gas Transmission, and prior to 2004 for Gas Distribution.
  4. The costs for incidents prior to 2008 are presented in 2008 dollars. Cost of Gas lost is indexed via the Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas City Gate Prices. All other costs are adjusted via the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Government Printing Office inflation values.
  5. For years 2002 and later, property damage is estimated as the sum of all public and private costs reported in the 30-day incident report. For years prior to 2002, accident report forms did not include a breakdown of public and private costs so property damage for these years is the reported total property damage field in the report. All costs prior to 2008 are expressed in 2008 dollars.
  6. Does not include 1,851 injuries that required medical treatment reported for the October, 1994 accidents that were caused by severe flooding near Houston, Texas.

Sources

  1. PHMSA Hazardous Liquid Flagged Incidents File - October 14, 2009
  2. PHMSA Gas Transmission Flagged Incidents File - October 14, 2009
  3. PHMSA Gas Distribution Flagged Incidents File - October 14, 2009

See Pipeline Incidents and Mileage Reports for more pipeline safety reports.

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