WorldWide Drilling Resource®

31 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® AUGUST 2020 Pipeline Safety Improving Adapted from Information by the American Petroleum Institute According to the latest Pipeline Safety Excellence Performance Report, from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Association of Oil Pipe Lines (AOPL), liquid pipeline incidents impacting people or the environment have decreased 36% over the past five years, even with pipeline mileage increasing nearly 10%. Equipment failure is the most frequent cause of liquids pipeline incidents. In fact, over the past five years, nearly half of all incidents were caused by equipment failure, while corrosion failure, incorrect operation, and material pipe/weld failures rounded off the top causes of pipeline incidents. “Pipelines are the safest and most environmentally friendly way of transporting the energy Americans rely on every day,” said API Pipeline Manager David Murk. “This year’s report highlights our industry’s strong commitment to safety and reliability, show- ing significant reductions in total incidents while we continue to reliably and efficiently deliver the energy that keeps working families, small businesses, and first responders moving.” Key findings within the report include: k Total pipeline incidents down 17% k Incidents caused by corrosion, cracking, or weld failure decreased 50% over the last five years k Pipeline incidents caused by equipment failure were down 15% percent over the last five years The information included in the report comes from government-collected data on pipeline incidents made publicly available by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Each year, API and AOPL download PHMSA incident data to analyze where pipeline operators are making progress. "While pipeline operators are proud they are reducing the number of pipeline inci- dents, they are working hard to decrease them even further," said Andy Black, AOPL president and CEO. The 2020-2022 Strategic Plan which accompanies the performance report, describes safety improvement goals for the industry to achieve over the next three years, including promoting organizational excellence; increasing stakeholder awareness and involvement; and enhancing emergency response preparedness. G&O