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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.

• All Pipeline Systems
• Hazardous Liquid
• Gas Transmission
• Gas Gathering
• Gas Distribution

National All Pipeline Systems: Significant Incident Details: 1997

Reported Cause of Incident	Number	%	Fatalities	Injuries	Property Damage (B) (C)	% of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS	59	22.1%	1	4	$35,927,709	37.9%
Sub Total	59	22.1%	1	4	$35,927,709	37.9%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS	72	26.9%	6	22	$27,693,571	29.2%
Sub Total	72	26.9%	6	22	$27,693,571	29.2%
HUMAN ERROR
VARIOUS	13	4.8%	0	3	$1,600,915	1.6%
Sub Total	13	4.8%	0	3	$1,600,915	1.6%
MATERIAL FAILURE
VARIOUS	27	10.1%	1	15	$4,708,911	4.9%
Sub Total	27	10.1%	1	15	$4,708,911	4.9%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS	18	6.7%	0	4	$3,910,676	4.1%
Sub Total	18	6.7%	0	4	$3,910,676	4.1%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS	78	29.2%	2	29	$20,902,595	22.0%
Sub Total	78	29.2%	2	29	$20,902,595	22.0%
Totals	267	100.0%	10	77	$94,744,378	100.0%

• All Hazardous Liquid Systems
• Onshore Only
• Offshore Only

National Hazardous Liquid: Significant Incident Details: 1997

Reported Cause of Incident	Number	%	Fatalities	Injuries	Property Damage (B) (C)	% of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS	46	28.4%	0	0	$33,420,739	49.6%
Sub Total	46	28.4%	0	0	$33,420,739	49.6%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS	36	22.2%	0	4	$16,623,259	24.6%
Sub Total	36	22.2%	0	4	$16,623,259	24.6%
HUMAN ERROR
VARIOUS	10	6.1%	0	0	$1,600,915	2.3%
Sub Total	10	6.1%	0	0	$1,600,915	2.3%
MATERIAL FAILURE
VARIOUS	20	12.3%	0	0	$3,076,589	4.5%
Sub Total	20	12.3%	0	0	$3,076,589	4.5%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS	4	2.4%	0	0	$1,754,326	2.6%
Sub Total	4	2.4%	0	0	$1,754,326	2.6%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS	46	28.4%	0	1	$10,857,369	16.1%
Sub Total	46	28.4%	0	1	$10,857,369	16.1%
Totals	162	100.0%	0	5	$67,333,200	100.0%

National Hazardous Liquid Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 1997

Reported Cause of Incident	Number	%	Fatalities	Injuries	Property Damage (B) (C)	% of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS	44	27.1%	0	0	$32,961,915	48.9%
Sub Total	44	27.1%	0	0	$32,961,915	48.9%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS	33	20.3%	0	4	$8,612,243	12.7%
Sub Total	33	20.3%	0	4	$8,612,243	12.7%
HUMAN ERROR
VARIOUS	10	6.1%	0	0	$1,600,915	2.3%
Sub Total	10	6.1%	0	0	$1,600,915	2.3%
MATERIAL FAILURE
VARIOUS	19	11.7%	0	0	$2,463,188	3.6%
Sub Total	19	11.7%	0	0	$2,463,188	3.6%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS	4	2.4%	0	0	$1,754,326	2.6%
Sub Total	4	2.4%	0	0	$1,754,326	2.6%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS	43	26.5%	0	1	$4,232,638	6.2%
Sub Total	43	26.5%	0	1	$4,232,638	6.2%
Totals	153	94.4%	0	5	$51,625,227	76.6%

National Hazardous Liquid Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 1997

Reported Cause of Incident	Number	%	Fatalities	Injuries	Property Damage (B) (C)	% of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS	2	1.2%	0	0	$458,823	0.6%
Sub Total	2	1.2%	0	0	$458,823	0.6%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS	3	1.8%	0	0	$8,011,016	11.9%
Sub Total	3	1.8%	0	0	$8,011,016	11.9%
MATERIAL FAILURE
VARIOUS	1	0.6%	0	0	$613,400	0.9%
Sub Total	1	0.6%	0	0	$613,400	0.9%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS	3	1.8%	0	0	$6,624,730	9.8%
Sub Total	3	1.8%	0	0	$6,624,730	9.8%
Totals	9	5.5%	0	0	$15,707,972	23.3%

• All Gas Transmission Systems
• Onshore Only
• Offshore Only

National Gas Transmission: Significant Incident Details: 1997

Reported Cause of Incident	Number	%	Fatalities	Injuries	Property Damage (B) (C)	% of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS	9	27.2%	0	0	$2,157,331	16.7%
Sub Total	9	27.2%	0	0	$2,157,331	16.7%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS	11	33.3%	1	4	$3,428,561	26.5%
Sub Total	11	33.3%	1	4	$3,428,561	26.5%
MATERIAL FAILURE
VARIOUS	3	9.0%	0	0	$1,182,637	9.1%
Sub Total	3	9.0%	0	0	$1,182,637	9.1%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS	4	12.1%	0	0	$1,085,719	8.4%
Sub Total	4	12.1%	0	0	$1,085,719	8.4%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS	6	18.1%	0	1	$5,054,595	39.1%
Sub Total	6	18.1%	0	1	$5,054,595	39.1%
Totals	33	100.0%	1	5	$12,908,845	100.0%

National Gas Transmission Onshore: Significant Incident Details: 1997

Reported Cause of Incident	Number	%	Fatalities	Injuries	Property Damage (B) (C)	% of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS	6	18.1%	0	0	$1,605,270	12.4%
Sub Total	6	18.1%	0	0	$1,605,270	12.4%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS	8	24.2%	1	4	$2,232,429	17.2%
Sub Total	8	24.2%	1	4	$2,232,429	17.2%
MATERIAL FAILURE
VARIOUS	3	9.0%	0	0	$1,182,637	9.1%
Sub Total	3	9.0%	0	0	$1,182,637	9.1%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS	3	9.0%	0	0	$993,709	7.7%
Sub Total	3	9.0%	0	0	$993,709	7.7%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS	6	18.1%	0	1	$5,054,595	39.1%
Sub Total	6	18.1%	0	1	$5,054,595	39.1%
Totals	26	78.7%	1	5	$11,068,642	85.7%

National Gas Transmission Offshore: Significant Incident Details: 1997

Reported Cause of Incident	Number	%	Fatalities	Injuries	Property Damage (B) (C)	% of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS	3	9.0%	0	0	$552,060	4.2%
Sub Total	3	9.0%	0	0	$552,060	4.2%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS	3	9.0%	0	0	$1,196,131	9.2%
Sub Total	3	9.0%	0	0	$1,196,131	9.2%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS	1	3.0%	0	0	$92,010	0.7%
Sub Total	1	3.0%	0	0	$92,010	0.7%
Totals	7	21.2%	0	0	$1,840,202	14.2%

National Gas Gathering: Significant Incident Details: 1997

Reported Cause of Incident	Number	%	Fatalities	Injuries	Property Damage (B) (C)	% of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS	1	33.3%	0	0	$159,484	30.9%
Sub Total	1	33.3%	0	0	$159,484	30.9%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS	1	33.3%	0	0	$245,360	47.6%
Sub Total	1	33.3%	0	0	$245,360	47.6%
MATERIAL FAILURE
VARIOUS	1	33.3%	0	0	$110,412	21.4%
Sub Total	1	33.3%	0	0	$110,412	21.4%
Totals	3	100.0%	0	0	$515,256	100.0%

National Gas Distribution: Significant Incident Details: 1997

Reported Cause of Incident	Number	%	Fatalities	Injuries	Property Damage (B) (C)	% of Property Damage
CORROSION
VARIOUS	3	4.3%	1	4	$190,154	1.3%
Sub Total	3	4.3%	1	4	$190,154	1.3%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
VARIOUS	24	34.7%	5	14	$7,396,389	52.8%
Sub Total	24	34.7%	5	14	$7,396,389	52.8%
HUMAN ERROR
VARIOUS	3	4.3%	0	3	$0	0.0%
Sub Total	3	4.3%	0	3	$0	0.0%
MATERIAL FAILURE
VARIOUS	3	4.3%	1	15	$339,272	2.4%
Sub Total	3	4.3%	1	15	$339,272	2.4%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
VARIOUS	10	14.4%	0	4	$1,070,630	7.6%
Sub Total	10	14.4%	0	4	$1,070,630	7.6%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
VARIOUS	26	37.6%	2	27	$4,990,630	35.6%
Sub Total	26	37.6%	2	27	$4,990,630	35.6%
Totals	69	100.0%	9	67	$13,987,075	100.0%

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. Costs in the current year (2008) are nominal (as reported). The costs for incidents prior to 2008 are presented in 2007 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.
3. 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 2007 dollars. Costs in current year (2008) are nominal.

Sources

1. PHMSA Hazardous Liquid Filtered Incidents File - October 14, 2008
2. PHMSA Gas Transmission Filtered Incidents File - October 14, 2008
3. PHMSA Gas Distribution Filtered Incidents File - October 14, 2008

See Pipeline Incidents and Mileage Reports for more pipeline safety reports.