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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: 2000
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 58 20.0% 12 7 $54,679,315 23.8%
Sub Total 58 20.0% 12 7 $54,679,315 23.8%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 81 27.9% 7 25 $40,278,492 17.5%
Sub Total 81 27.9% 7 25 $40,278,492 17.5%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 13 4.4% 0 6 $2,581,551 1.1%
Sub Total 13 4.4% 0 6 $2,581,551 1.1%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 31 10.6% 0 8 $77,186,327 33.5%
Sub Total 31 10.6% 0 8 $77,186,327 33.5%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 12 4.1% 1 2 $4,722,240 2.0%
Sub Total 12 4.1% 1 2 $4,722,240 2.0%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 95 32.7% 18 33 $50,311,841 21.9%
Sub Total 95 32.7% 18 33 $50,311,841 21.9%
Totals 290 100.0% 38 81 $229,759,769 100.0%
Export Table
National, All Pipeline Systems, 2000
National Hazardous Liquid: Significant Incident Details: 2000
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 31 22.9% 0 0 $46,386,336 25.3%
Sub Total 31 22.9% 0 0 $46,386,336 25.3%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 34 25.1% 1 3 $29,899,087 16.3%
Sub Total 34 25.1% 1 3 $29,899,087 16.3%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 9 6.6% 0 0 $2,398,851 1.3%
Sub Total 9 6.6% 0 0 $2,398,851 1.3%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 21 15.5% 0 0 $75,260,669 41.1%
Sub Total 21 15.5% 0 0 $75,260,669 41.1%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 40 29.6% 0 1 $28,837,901 15.7%
Sub Total 40 29.6% 0 1 $28,837,901 15.7%
Totals 135 100.0% 1 4 $182,782,845 100.0%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid, 2000
National Hazardous Liquid Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 2000
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 29 21.4% 0 0 $46,045,296 25.1%
Sub Total 29 21.4% 0 0 $46,045,296 25.1%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 32 23.7% 1 3 $9,569,512 5.2%
Sub Total 32 23.7% 1 3 $9,569,512 5.2%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 9 6.6% 0 0 $2,398,851 1.3%
Sub Total 9 6.6% 0 0 $2,398,851 1.3%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 21 15.5% 0 0 $75,260,669 41.1%
Sub Total 21 15.5% 0 0 $75,260,669 41.1%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 37 27.4% 0 1 $26,889,101 14.7%
Sub Total 37 27.4% 0 1 $26,889,101 14.7%
Totals 128 94.8% 1 4 $160,163,431 87.6%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid Onshore, 2000
National Hazardous Liquid Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 2000
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 2 1.4% 0 0 $341,040 0.1%
Sub Total 2 1.4% 0 0 $341,040 0.1%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 2 1.4% 0 0 $20,329,574 11.1%
Sub Total 2 1.4% 0 0 $20,329,574 11.1%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 3 2.2% 0 0 $1,948,800 1.0%
Sub Total 3 2.2% 0 0 $1,948,800 1.0%
Totals 7 5.1% 0 0 $22,619,414 12.3%
Export Table
National, Hazardous Liquid Offshore, 2000
National Gas Transmission: Significant Incident Details: 2000
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 21 38.8% 12 0 $6,969,013 35.6%
Sub Total 21 38.8% 12 0 $6,969,013 35.6%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 11 20.3% 3 7 $2,710,013 13.8%
Sub Total 11 20.3% 3 7 $2,710,013 13.8%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 3 5.5% 0 0 $444,570 2.2%
Sub Total 3 5.5% 0 0 $444,570 2.2%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 3 5.5% 0 0 $730,874 3.7%
Sub Total 3 5.5% 0 0 $730,874 3.7%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 16 29.6% 0 9 $8,709,273 44.5%
Sub Total 16 29.6% 0 9 $8,709,273 44.5%
Totals 54 100.0% 15 16 $19,563,744 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission, 2000
National Gas Transmission Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 2000
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 13 24.0% 12 0 $5,686,593 29.0%
Sub Total 13 24.0% 12 0 $5,686,593 29.0%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 10 18.5% 3 7 $1,979,213 10.1%
Sub Total 10 18.5% 3 7 $1,979,213 10.1%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 3 5.5% 0 0 $444,570 2.2%
Sub Total 3 5.5% 0 0 $444,570 2.2%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 3 5.5% 0 0 $730,874 3.7%
Sub Total 3 5.5% 0 0 $730,874 3.7%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 16 29.6% 0 9 $8,709,273 44.5%
Sub Total 16 29.6% 0 9 $8,709,273 44.5%
Totals 45 83.3% 15 16 $17,550,524 89.7%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission Onshore, 2000
National Gas Transmission Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 2000
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 8 14.8% 0 0 $1,282,420 6.5%
Sub Total 8 14.8% 0 0 $1,282,420 6.5%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 1 1.8% 0 0 $730,800 3.7%
Sub Total 1 1.8% 0 0 $730,800 3.7%
Totals 9 16.6% 0 0 $2,013,220 10.2%
Export Table
National, Gas Transmission Offshore, 2000
National Gas Gathering: Significant Incident Details: 2000
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 3 100.0% 0 2 $1,037,736 100.0%
Sub Total 3100.0% 0 2 $1,037,736100.0%
Totals 3 100.0% 0 2 $1,037,736 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Gathering, 2000
National Gas Distribution: Significant Incident Details: 2000
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (D) (E) % of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS 3 3.0% 0 5 $286,230 1.0%
Sub Total 3 3.0% 0 5 $286,230 1.0%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS 36 36.7% 3 15 $7,669,391 29.0%
Sub Total 36 36.7% 3 15 $7,669,391 29.0%
INCORRECT OPERATION
VARIOUS 4 4.0% 0 6 $182,700 0.6%
Sub Total 4 4.0% 0 6 $182,700 0.6%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
VARIOUS 7 7.1% 0 8 $1,481,088 5.6%
Sub Total 7 7.1% 0 8 $1,481,088 5.6%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS 9 9.1% 1 2 $3,991,366 15.1%
Sub Total 9 9.1% 1 2 $3,991,366 15.1%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS 39 39.8% 18 23 $12,764,666 48.4%
Sub Total 39 39.8% 18 23 $12,764,666 48.4%
Totals 98 100.0% 22 59 $26,375,442 100.0%
Export Table
National, Gas Distribution, 2000

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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