Summary

About half of the nation's supply of crude oil and petroleum products and virtually all natural gas supplies are transported through a network of more than 1.7 million miles of pipelines. Although the overall safety record of these pipelines is relatively good, a massive pipeline spill in Reston, Virginia, in March 1993 underscores the need for more sophisticated inspection technologies. This testimony focuses on the role that instrumented internal inspection devices--known as smart pigs--can play in improving pipeline safety.