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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: 1996
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 63 20.9% 0 3 $51,265,065 35.2%
Sub Total 63 20.9% 0 3 $51,265,065 35.2%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 97 32.2% 9 41 $30,021,165 20.6%
Sub Total 97 32.2% 9 41 $30,021,165 20.6%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 16 5.3% 0 6 $10,523,630 7.2%
Sub Total 16 5.3% 0 6 $10,523,630 7.2%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 35 11.6% 2 3 $6,847,602 4.7%
Sub Total 35 11.6% 2 3 $6,847,602 4.7%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 15 4.9% 2 7 $2,471,638 1.7%
Sub Total 15 4.9% 2 7 $2,471,638 1.7%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 75 24.9% 40 67 $44,200,403 30.4%
Sub Total 75 24.9% 40 67 $44,200,403 30.4%
Totals 301 100.0% 53 127 $145,329,505 100.0%
Export Table
National, All Pipeline Systems, 1996
National Hazardous Liquid: Significant Incident Details: 1996
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 53 30.4% 0 0 $48,672,196 44.3%
Sub Total 53 30.4% 0 0 $48,672,196 44.3%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 42 24.1% 3 10 $19,598,712 17.8%
Sub Total 42 24.1% 3 10 $19,598,712 17.8%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 10 5.7% 0 0 $9,317,946 8.4%
Sub Total 10 5.7% 0 0 $9,317,946 8.4%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 23 13.2% 0 0 $5,062,512 4.6%
Sub Total 23 13.2% 0 0 $5,062,512 4.6%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 2 1.1% 0 0 $343,555 0.3%
Sub Total 2 1.1% 0 0 $343,555 0.3%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 44 25.2% 2 3 $26,825,115 24.4%
Sub Total 44 25.2% 2 3 $26,825,115 24.4%
Totals 174 100.0% 5 13 $109,820,038 100.0%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid, 1996
National Hazardous Liquid Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 1996
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 51 29.3% 0 0 $47,855,442 43.5%
Sub Total 51 29.3% 0 0 $47,855,442 43.5%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 42 24.1% 3 10 $19,598,712 17.8%
Sub Total 42 24.1% 3 10 $19,598,712 17.8%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 10 5.7% 0 0 $9,317,946 8.4%
Sub Total 10 5.7% 0 0 $9,317,946 8.4%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 23 13.2% 0 0 $5,062,512 4.6%
Sub Total 23 13.2% 0 0 $5,062,512 4.6%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 2 1.1% 0 0 $343,555 0.3%
Sub Total 2 1.1% 0 0 $343,555 0.3%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 43 24.7% 2 3 $26,643,614 24.2%
Sub Total 43 24.7% 2 3 $26,643,614 24.2%
Totals 171 98.2% 5 13 $108,821,784 99.0%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid Onshore, 1996
National Hazardous Liquid Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 1996
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 2 1.1% 0 0 $816,753 0.7%
Sub Total 2 1.1% 0 0 $816,753 0.7%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 1 0.5% 0 0 $181,500 0.1%
Sub Total 1 0.5% 0 0 $181,500 0.1%
Totals 3 1.7% 0 0 $998,254 0.9%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid Offshore, 1996
National Gas Transmission: Significant Incident Details: 1996
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 8 18.6% 0 1 $2,437,296 15.6%
Sub Total 8 18.6% 0 1 $2,437,296 15.6%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 19 44.1% 1 1 $5,189,933 33.3%
Sub Total 19 44.1% 1 1 $5,189,933 33.3%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 6 13.9% 0 0 $1,266,516 8.1%
Sub Total 6 13.9% 0 0 $1,266,516 8.1%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 1 2.3% 0 0 $142,607 0.9%
Sub Total 1 2.3% 0 0 $142,607 0.9%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 9 20.9% 0 3 $6,543,233 42.0%
Sub Total 9 20.9% 0 3 $6,543,233 42.0%
Totals 43 100.0% 1 5 $15,579,587 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission, 1996
National Gas Transmission Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 1996
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 6 13.9% 0 1 $2,009,473 12.9%
Sub Total 6 13.9% 0 1 $2,009,473 12.9%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 16 37.2% 1 1 $3,679,587 23.6%
Sub Total 16 37.2% 1 1 $3,679,587 23.6%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 3 6.9% 0 0 $843,375 5.4%
Sub Total 3 6.9% 0 0 $843,375 5.4%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 9 20.9% 0 3 $6,543,233 42.0%
Sub Total 9 20.9% 0 3 $6,543,233 42.0%
Totals 34 79.0% 1 5 $13,075,670 83.9%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission Onshore, 1996
National Gas Transmission Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 1996
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 2 4.6% 0 0 $427,823 2.7%
Sub Total 2 4.6% 0 0 $427,823 2.7%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 3 6.9% 0 0 $1,510,345 9.6%
Sub Total 3 6.9% 0 0 $1,510,345 9.6%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 3 6.9% 0 0 $423,140 2.7%
Sub Total 3 6.9% 0 0 $423,140 2.7%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 1 2.3% 0 0 $142,607 0.9%
Sub Total 1 2.3% 0 0 $142,607 0.9%
Totals 9 20.9% 0 0 $2,503,917 16.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission Offshore, 1996

No Data Available

National Gas Distribution: Significant Incident Details: 1996
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 2 2.3% 0 2 $155,572 0.7%
Sub Total 2 2.3% 0 2 $155,572 0.7%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 36 42.8% 5 30 $5,232,518 26.2%
Sub Total 36 42.8% 5 30 $5,232,518 26.2%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 6 7.1% 0 6 $1,205,683 6.0%
Sub Total 6 7.1% 0 6 $1,205,683 6.0%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 6 7.1% 2 3 $518,573 2.6%
Sub Total 6 7.1% 2 3 $518,573 2.6%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 12 14.2% 2 7 $1,985,476 9.9%
Sub Total 12 14.2% 2 7 $1,985,476 9.9%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 22 26.1% 38 61 $10,832,054 54.3%
Sub Total 22 26.1% 38 61 $10,832,054 54.3%
Totals 84 100.0% 47 109 $19,929,879 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Distribution, 1996

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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