There were 293 pipeline incidents in the US last year, down 112 and with 16% fewer incidents affecting people or the environment over the past five years, according to a joint report by American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Liquid Energy Pipeline Association (LEPA). ) Monday.
“Over the past five years, corrosion failures (28%) were the most common cause of incidents affecting people or the environment, followed by equipment failures (24%), incorrect operation (13%) and pipe and material weld failures (12%). ),” the industry associations said in their “Pipeline Excellence Strategic Plan 2023-2025 and Performance Report 2022.”
By definition, pipeline incidents affecting people or the environment include those that directly harm people physically, cause human displacement, affect wildlife, or cause pollution. There were 75 of these incidents last year, up from 89 in 2018.
“Incidents related to the pipeline itself, such as corrosion, cracking or welding failures, were down 6 percent over the past five years in areas affecting people or the environment,” the groups said. “In these areas, pipe and material weld failures also dropped by 29 percent from 2018 to 2022.”
“Major” incidents affecting people or the environment fell by 22 percent over the past five years. “In 2022, approximately 57 percent of these incidents were less than 50 barrels, with only 19 percent of incidents affecting people or the environment 500 barrels or more,” the API said, which has nearly 600 member companies, and LEPA, which it represents. more than 50 pipeline owners and operators.
Petroleum incidents accounted for 55 percent of total incidents in 2022, followed by refined products at 32 percent and natural gas liquids at 12 percent. “Incidents of carbon dioxide pipelines have dropped by 60 percent in the past five years, with two nationwide by 2022,” the report added.
“In 2022, there were 57 crude oil incidents and 18 refined product incidents affecting people or the environment. Refined product incidents affecting people or the environment have dropped 47 percent in the past five years,” API and LEPA wrote.
The groups have set a goal of zero pipeline incidents. To achieve this, they listed four strategic goals: deploying relevant technology and innovation, strengthening stakeholder awareness and engagement, addressing cybersecurity threats, and fostering organizational and workplace excellence.
Steven Yatauro, president of API-LEPA and president of ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. LLC, insisted in the report that pipelines are a safe way to transport liquid energy. “A barrel of oil or refined products transported by pipeline arrives safely at its destination 99.999 percent of the time,” he stated.
The U.S. had 229,888 total miles of liquids pipelines as of 2021, the latest data available, according to the report. Thirty-seven percent or 84,712 miles are petroleum pipelines, 33 percent are for natural gas liquids, and 28 percent are refined product pipelines.
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