Pipeline incidents down in last 5 years, AOPL-API report says

Liquid pipeline incidents affecting the public or the environment have fallen 19% in the last 5 years, the Association of Oil Pipelines and American Petroleum Institute jointly said in their 2018 Pipeline Safety Excellence Report.

“Pipeline operators are working hard to improve their pipeline safety performance, and this data shows that,” AOPL Pres. Andrew J. Black said in Washington on Apr. 24 as the latest report was released.

“Today’s report furthers the pipeline industry’s top priority of safety—especially in operator commitment to implementing pipeline safety management systems,” API Pipeline Manager David Murk said in St. Louis. “As the demand for liquid energy grows, our industry will continue its efforts to promote safety in all its operations to further protect our employees, communities and the environment.”

The report, which is based on publicly available data collected by the US Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration as part of its federal regulation of pipeline operators, also said:

• Incidents caused by corrosion, cracking, or weld failures declined 35% from 2013 to 2017.

• Incident caused by operations or maintenance failures fell 24% during the same period.

The report also lists four goals to improve US pipeline safety:

• Promote operational excellence.

• Improve safety through technology and innovation.

• Enhance emergency response preparedness.

• Increase stakeholder awareness and involvement.

Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].