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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: 1994
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 54 16.5% 0 3 $12,449,922 5.8%
Sub Total 54 16.5% 0 3 $12,449,922 5.8%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 75 23.0% 8 61 $52,687,224 24.8%
Sub Total 75 23.0% 8 61 $52,687,224 24.8%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 16 4.9% 0 7 $5,293,532 2.4%
Sub Total 16 4.9% 0 7 $5,293,532 2.4%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 54 16.5% 0 13 $10,401,719 4.9%
Sub Total 54 16.5% 0 13 $10,401,719 4.9%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 40 12.2% 3 (F) 14 $52,089,089 24.5%
Sub Total 40 12.2% 3 14 $52,089,089 24.5%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 87 26.6% 11 22 $79,534,517 37.4%
Sub Total 87 26.6% 11 22 $79,534,517 37.4%
Totals 326 100.0% 22 120 $212,456,006 100.0%
Export Table
National, All Pipeline Systems, 1994
National Hazardous Liquid: Significant Incident Details: 1994
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 30 16.8% 0 0 $2,353,195 2.8%
Sub Total 30 16.8% 0 0 $2,353,195 2.8%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 29 16.2% 0 1 $4,303,003 5.2%
Sub Total 29 16.2% 0 1 $4,303,003 5.2%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 9 5.0% 0 0 $5,192,346 6.3%
Sub Total 9 5.0% 0 0 $5,192,346 6.3%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 43 24.1% 0 1 $10,009,597 12.1%
Sub Total 43 24.1% 0 1 $10,009,597 12.1%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 13 7.3% 0 (F) 1 $43,451,920 52.7%
Sub Total 13 7.3% 0 1 $43,451,920 52.7%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 54 30.3% 1 4 $17,081,606 20.7%
Sub Total 54 30.3% 1 4 $17,081,606 20.7%
Totals 178 100.0% 1 7 $82,391,670 100.0%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid, 1994
National Hazardous Liquid Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 1994
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 29 16.2% 0 0 $2,312,721 2.8%
Sub Total 29 16.2% 0 0 $2,312,721 2.8%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 29 16.2% 0 1 $4,303,003 5.2%
Sub Total 29 16.2% 0 1 $4,303,003 5.2%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 9 5.0% 0 0 $5,192,346 6.3%
Sub Total 9 5.0% 0 0 $5,192,346 6.3%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 43 24.1% 0 1 $10,009,597 12.1%
Sub Total 43 24.1% 0 1 $10,009,597 12.1%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 12 6.7% 0 (F) 1 $43,114,636 52.3%
Sub Total 12 6.7% 0 1 $43,114,636 52.3%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 54 30.3% 1 4 $17,081,606 20.7%
Sub Total 54 30.3% 1 4 $17,081,606 20.7%
Totals 176 98.8% 1 7 $82,013,912 99.5%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid Onshore, 1994
National Hazardous Liquid Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 1994
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 1 0.5% 0 0 $40,474 0.0%
Sub Total 1 0.5% 0 0 $40,474 0.0%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 1 0.5% 0 (F) 0 $337,284 0.4%
Sub Total 1 0.5% 0 0 $337,284 0.4%
Totals 2 1.1% 0 0 $377,758 0.4%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid Offshore, 1994
National Gas Transmission: Significant Incident Details: 1994
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 16 35.5% 0 1 $4,605,727 7.9%
Sub Total 16 35.5% 0 1 $4,605,727 7.9%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 12 26.6% 0 15 $37,395,628 64.4%
Sub Total 12 26.6% 0 15 $37,395,628 64.4%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 4 8.8% 0 2 $365,139 0.6%
Sub Total 4 8.8% 0 2 $365,139 0.6%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 4 8.8% 0 1 $5,146,953 8.8%
Sub Total 4 8.8% 0 1 $5,146,953 8.8%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 9 20.0% 0 3 $10,517,919 18.1%
Sub Total 9 20.0% 0 3 $10,517,919 18.1%
Totals 45 100.0% 0 22 $58,031,369 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission, 1994
National Gas Transmission Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 1994
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 10 22.2% 0 1 $3,431,979 5.9%
Sub Total 10 22.2% 0 1 $3,431,979 5.9%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 7 15.5% 0 8 $35,857,613 61.7%
Sub Total 7 15.5% 0 8 $35,857,613 61.7%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 4 8.8% 0 2 $365,139 0.6%
Sub Total 4 8.8% 0 2 $365,139 0.6%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 4 8.8% 0 1 $5,146,953 8.8%
Sub Total 4 8.8% 0 1 $5,146,953 8.8%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 9 20.0% 0 3 $10,517,919 18.1%
Sub Total 9 20.0% 0 3 $10,517,919 18.1%
Totals 34 75.5% 0 15 $55,319,606 95.3%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission Onshore, 1994
National Gas Transmission Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 1994
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 6 13.3% 0 0 $1,173,748 2.0%
Sub Total 6 13.3% 0 0 $1,173,748 2.0%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 5 11.1% 0 7 $1,538,015 2.6%
Sub Total 5 11.1% 0 7 $1,538,015 2.6%
Totals 11 24.4% 0 7 $2,711,763 4.6%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission Offshore, 1994
National Gas Gathering: Significant Incident Details: 1994
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 4 80.0% 0 0 $1,038,850 64.8%
Sub Total 4 80.0% 0 0 $1,038,850 64.8%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 1 20.0% 0 0 $563,905 35.1%
Sub Total 1 20.0% 0 0 $563,905 35.1%
Totals 5 100.0% 0 0 $1,602,756 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Gathering, 1994
National Gas Distribution: Significant Incident Details: 1994
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 4 4.0% 0 2 $4,452,148 6.3%
Sub Total 4 4.0% 0 2 $4,452,148 6.3%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 33 33.6% 8 45 $10,424,687 14.8%
Sub Total 33 33.6% 8 45 $10,424,687 14.8%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 7 7.1% 0 7 $101,185 0.1%
Sub Total 7 7.1% 0 7 $101,185 0.1%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 7 7.1% 0 10 $26,982 0.0%
Sub Total 7 7.1% 0 10 $26,982 0.0%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 23 23.4% 3 12 $3,490,214 4.9%
Sub Total 23 23.4% 3 12 $3,490,214 4.9%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 24 24.4% 10 15 $51,934,991 73.7%
Sub Total 24 24.4% 10 15 $51,934,991 73.7%
Totals 98 100.0% 21 91 $70,430,210 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Distribution, 1994

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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