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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: 1995
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 38 14.6% 1 3 $5,754,580 8.5%
Sub Total 38 14.6% 1 3 $5,754,580 8.5%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 76 29.3% 4 27 $23,712,516 35.1%
Sub Total 76 29.3% 4 27 $23,712,516 35.1%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 30 11.5% 1 10 $1,247,069 1.8%
Sub Total 30 11.5% 1 10 $1,247,069 1.8%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 34 13.1% 0 8 $10,529,170 15.6%
Sub Total 34 13.1% 0 8 $10,529,170 15.6%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 26 10.0% 2 3 $21,632,449 32.0%
Sub Total 26 10.0% 2 3 $21,632,449 32.0%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 55 21.2% 13 13 $4,576,109 6.7%
Sub Total 55 21.2% 13 13 $4,576,109 6.7%
Totals 259 100.0% 21 64 $67,451,895 100.0%
Export Table
National, All Pipeline Systems, 1995
National Hazardous Liquid: Significant Incident Details: 1995
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 32 20.5% 0 0 $3,089,462 7.3%
Sub Total 32 20.5% 0 0 $3,089,462 7.3%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 35 22.4% 0 4 $13,516,619 32.3%
Sub Total 35 22.4% 0 4 $13,516,619 32.3%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 24 15.3% 0 2 $1,128,149 2.7%
Sub Total 24 15.3% 0 2 $1,128,149 2.7%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 22 14.1% 0 2 $5,993,051 14.3%
Sub Total 22 14.1% 0 2 $5,993,051 14.3%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 10 6.4% 0 0 $15,712,569 37.5%
Sub Total 10 6.4% 0 0 $15,712,569 37.5%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 33 21.1% 3 3 $2,382,044 5.7%
Sub Total 33 21.1% 3 3 $2,382,044 5.7%
Totals 156 100.0% 3 11 $41,821,898 100.0%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid, 1995
National Hazardous Liquid Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 1995
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 32 20.5% 0 0 $3,089,462 7.3%
Sub Total 32 20.5% 0 0 $3,089,462 7.3%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 34 21.7% 0 4 $13,252,354 31.6%
Sub Total 34 21.7% 0 4 $13,252,354 31.6%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 24 15.3% 0 2 $1,128,149 2.7%
Sub Total 24 15.3% 0 2 $1,128,149 2.7%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 22 14.1% 0 2 $5,993,051 14.3%
Sub Total 22 14.1% 0 2 $5,993,051 14.3%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 10 6.4% 0 0 $15,712,569 37.5%
Sub Total 10 6.4% 0 0 $15,712,569 37.5%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 32 20.5% 3 3 $1,721,380 4.1%
Sub Total 32 20.5% 3 3 $1,721,380 4.1%
Totals 154 98.7% 3 11 $40,896,968 97.7%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid Onshore, 1995
National Hazardous Liquid Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 1995
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 1 0.6% 0 0 $264,265 0.6%
Sub Total 1 0.6% 0 0 $264,265 0.6%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 1 0.6% 0 0 $660,663 1.5%
Sub Total 1 0.6% 0 0 $660,663 1.5%
Totals 2 1.2% 0 0 $924,929 2.2%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid Offshore, 1995
National Gas Transmission: Significant Incident Details: 1995
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 2 6.2% 0 0 $2,610,943 21.2%
Sub Total 2 6.2% 0 0 $2,610,943 21.2%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 8 25.0% 0 2 $2,324,215 18.9%
Sub Total 8 25.0% 0 2 $2,324,215 18.9%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 7 21.8% 0 0 $3,214,790 26.1%
Sub Total 7 21.8% 0 0 $3,214,790 26.1%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 6 18.7% 0 0 $3,129,234 25.4%
Sub Total 6 18.7% 0 0 $3,129,234 25.4%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 9 28.1% 2 5 $1,010,815 8.2%
Sub Total 9 28.1% 2 5 $1,010,815 8.2%
Totals 32 100.0% 2 7 $12,290,000 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission, 1995
National Gas Transmission Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 1995
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 1 3.1% 0 0 $2,312,323 18.8%
Sub Total 1 3.1% 0 0 $2,312,323 18.8%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 5 15.6% 0 2 $1,597,485 13.0%
Sub Total 5 15.6% 0 2 $1,597,485 13.0%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 5 15.6% 0 0 $2,547,520 20.7%
Sub Total 5 15.6% 0 0 $2,547,520 20.7%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 4 12.5% 0 0 $1,464,361 11.9%
Sub Total 4 12.5% 0 0 $1,464,361 11.9%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 7 21.8% 0 5 $667,270 5.4%
Sub Total 7 21.8% 0 5 $667,270 5.4%
Totals 22 68.7% 0 7 $8,588,961 69.8%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission Onshore, 1995
National Gas Transmission Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 1995
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 1 3.1% 0 0 $298,620 2.4%
Sub Total 1 3.1% 0 0 $298,620 2.4%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 3 9.3% 0 0 $726,730 5.9%
Sub Total 3 9.3% 0 0 $726,730 5.9%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 2 6.2% 0 0 $667,270 5.4%
Sub Total 2 6.2% 0 0 $667,270 5.4%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 2 6.2% 0 0 $1,664,873 13.5%
Sub Total 2 6.2% 0 0 $1,664,873 13.5%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 2 6.2% 2 0 $343,545 2.8%
Sub Total 2 6.2% 2 0 $343,545 2.8%
Totals 10 31.2% 2 0 $3,701,039 30.1%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission Offshore, 1995
National Gas Gathering: Significant Incident Details: 1995
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 1 33.3% 0 1 $13,213 8.3%
Sub Total 1 33.3% 0 1 $13,213 8.3%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 1 33.3% 0 2 $0 0.0%
Sub Total 1 33.3% 0 2 $0 0.0%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 1 33.3% 0 0 $145,346 91.6%
Sub Total 1 33.3% 0 0 $145,346 91.6%
Totals 3 100.0% 0 3 $158,559 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Gathering, 1995
National Gas Distribution: Significant Incident Details: 1995
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 3 4.4% 1 2 $40,961 0.3%
Sub Total 3 4.4% 1 2 $40,961 0.3%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 33 48.5% 4 21 $7,871,681 59.7%
Sub Total 33 48.5% 4 21 $7,871,681 59.7%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 6 8.8% 1 8 $118,919 0.9%
Sub Total 6 8.8% 1 8 $118,919 0.9%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 4 5.8% 0 4 $1,321,327 10.0%
Sub Total 4 5.8% 0 4 $1,321,327 10.0%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 10 14.7% 2 3 $2,790,644 21.1%
Sub Total 10 14.7% 2 3 $2,790,644 21.1%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 12 17.6% 8 5 $1,037,903 7.8%
Sub Total 12 17.6% 8 5 $1,037,903 7.8%
Totals 68 100.0% 16 43 $13,181,437 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Distribution, 1995

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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