Analysis of DOT reportable incidents for gas transmission and gathering pipelines -- January 1, 1985 through December 31, 1994. Final report

The pipeline industry has identified the need to maintain a comprehensive database of pipeline incidents. The Department of Transportation maintains the official source of information regarding pipeline incidents in the US. To date, this database has not been considered to be as useful as it could be for risk assessment applications. Reasons for this include the absence of complete information, the over simplified method for identifying the cause of failures, and the lack of adequate pipeline mileage data. This report provides an analysis and overview of the incidents, and it suggest other ways to analyze the data. To enhance the utility of the information, a technical review of the individual incident reports has been conducted as described herein. This technical review resolved nearly all of the inconsistencies within the database and classified the causes of failures in a more appropriate format. In addition, a PC-compatible database of the 865 incidents reported between 1985 and 1994 was created and is provided with this report. This database is readily accessible in various formats such that pipeline operators and other can review individual incidents or use the data in numerous ways for analysis. The database is provided in Microsoft Excel 5.0 format andmore » ASCII format on the enclosed floppy disc, as well as appearing as a complete list in Appendix B.« less