Safety
Increased Safety for Natural Gas Pipelines
Local hard zones can cause sudden stress corrosion cracking in the through thickness direction. To detect and eliminate these local hard zones reliably during plate production, Dillinger developed a special eddy current testing system.
Report Shows Pipeline Safety Improvement
Liquids pipeline incidents affecting people or the environment decreased 38% over the last five years, while total pipeline incidents were down 21%, according to government pipeline safety data.
Safe Procedure Failure Led to Natural Gas Release, Fire in San Francisco Neighborhood
Kilford Engineering Inc.’s excavation crew’s failure to follow safe excavation practices near a pipeline contributed to a 2019 natural gas release and fire in a San Francisco neighborhood, the National Transportation Safety Board determined through an investigation.
Texas Railroad Commission Exceeds Legislative Target for Pipeline Safety Inspections
The agency had completed more than 1,800 pipeline safety special investigations by early August. The Legislature’s target measure for the agency is 1,200 accident and special investigations by the end of August.
New Edition of Global Pipeline Standard Enhances Safety, Strengthens Pipelines’ Environmental Sustainability
The American Petroleum Institute published Global Pipeline Standard 1104, 22nd Edition, updating an important global standard that supports industry-wide actions to strengthen environmental sustainability efforts while meeting growing energy demand.
Enbridge U.S. TETCO NatGas Pipe Prepares to Return to Full Service
Enbridge Inc's Texas Eastern Transmission unit said it provided all the information federal safety regulators requested and is preparing to increase pressure in its Pennsylvania to Mississippi pipeline as soon regulators approve.
Energy Transfer Says It Addressed Most Pipeline Safety Issues Raised by Regulator
Energy Transfer LP said it has already addressed most of the possible safety violations pertaining to the operation of the Dakota Access Pipeline raised by a federal regulator, and was working to resolve remaining issues.
US Regulator Issues Notice to Dakota Access Pipeline Over Safety Concerns
The U.S. Department of Transportation's pipeline regulator put the operator of the Dakota Access Pipeline, Energy Transfer LP, on notice for probable violations of safety regulations and proposed a civil penalty against it.
Gas Pipeline Explosion Kills Two in Collin County, Texas
An explosion on a natural gas pipeline in Collin County, Texas, near the town of Farmersville, killed two people and injured three, local media reports said.
Report Shows Safety, Reliability Improvements Among Pipelines
Liquids pipeline incidents affecting people or the environment decreased 38% over the last five years, while total pipeline incidents were down 21%, according to government pipeline safety data.
Police Detain Eight Employees of China Gas Unit After Deadly Pipeline Blast
Eight employees at a China Gas Holdings unit have been detained by local police following a fatal gas pipeline explosion on Sunday, according to a statement by the Shiyan city government.
Natural Gas Production in Extreme Weather
During the February freeze event, the wells themselves did not freeze or fail, the ancillary equipment downstream did. This distinction is important, because it can affect the manner in which the natural gas industry seeks to mitigate risks from future freeze events.
Sulfur Removal Solutions for Gas Gathering Systems
Pipelines are considered one of the safest, most reliable, most efficient and economic means of transporting large quantities of natural gas, crude and refined petroleum products. However, sulfur contaminants in the form of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and mercaptans (RSH) pose significant safety, operational, environmental and compliance problems.
Monitoring Pipelines to Protect Against Theft, Leaks
Oil and gas pipeline operators are under enormous pressure to reduce risk across their networks while simultaneously lowering costs. This can be achieved through effectively monitoring and maintaining the integrity of the pipeline networks to minimize product loss.
Fire Breaks Out at Tehran Oil Refinery
A huge fire broke out at an oil refinery in the southern part of the Iranian capital Tehran due to a pipeline leak, Iranian state media reported, saying there were so far no reports of casualties.
Blast at Shanghai Petrochemical Pipeline Injures Eight
Sinopec's Shanghai Petrochemical said on Saturday an explosion had occurred on a pipeline carrying raw materials for making ethylene, injuring eight employees.
Physical Threats to Pipeline Critical Infrastructure Growing
The importance of physical threat awareness toward critical pipeline infrastructure has never been greater. Safeguarding against physical threats are just as important, if not more important, as cyber-threats to protecting our nation’s pipeline systems, terminals and facilities.
Colonial Pipeline CEO Acknowledges ‘Controversial Decision’ to Pay Hackers
Colonial Pipeline's CEO acknowledged to the Wall Street Journal that his company paid a $4.4 million ransom to hackers as executives were unsure how badly its systems were breached or how long it would take to restore the pipeline.
Analysis: Cyberattack Exposes Lack of Required Defenses on U.S. Pipelines
The shutdown of the biggest U.S. fuel pipeline by a ransomware attack highlights a systemic vulnerability: Pipeline operators have no requirement to implement cyber defenses.
Enhancing Safety with Integrated Rupture Disk Assemblies
For decades, rupture disks have served the oil and gas industry as an effective, passive safety mechanism to protect against overpressure or potentially damaging vacuum conditions.
Colonial Pipeline Increases Estimate of Gasoline Spilled in North Carolina
New data shows the amount of gasoline released in Mecklenburg County’s Oehler Nature Preserve exceeds Colonial Pipeline’s 1.2-million-gallon estimate.
Equinor LNG Plant Broke Rules Ahead of 2020 Fire, Watchdog Says
Equinor must fix a series of rule breaches exposed by a fire at its Melkoeya LNG plant in Norway last year for the plant to reopen, the country's safety watchdog said on Thursday.
Gazprom Helping Determine Lawful Ownership of Russian Gas Pipelines
In the absence of lawful owners, gas networks and pipelines lack proper control and maintenance. More than 70% of such facilities are in the North Caucasus, Volga and Siberian Federal Districts.
LOOP, Phillips 66 Win 2020 Distinguished Pipeline Safety Awards
The American Petroleum Institute announced LOOP LLC and Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC are the winners of the 2020 Distinguished Pipeline Safety Awards, which recognize operators who have distinguished themselves as champions of industry innovation and operational excellence.
Pipeline Company Recognizes April as National Safe Digging Month
Georgia’s Colonial Pipeline is reminding homeowners and contractors that safe digging must remain a priority to protect people and prevent damage to critical utility services.
Failed Fitting Led to 1,200 Barrel Oil Leak from Trans Mountain Pipeline
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada completed its investigation into a June 2020 release of crude oil at the Trans Mountain Sumas pump station in British Columbia, determining a 1-inch pipeline fitting was the source of the leak.
CASE STUDY: Free Span Assessment of Subsea Pipelines
Free spanning of subsea pipelines is a concern during both the installation and operational phase of the pipeline life and needs to be monitored to ensure the integrity of the pipeline.
New PHMSA Rules Ease Burdens, Maintains Safety
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) re-examination of the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations should ease regulatory burdens on the construction, maintenance and operation of gas transmission, distribution and gathering pipeline systems, according to the final rule in the Federal Register.
NTSB Looks to Improve Pipeline Leak Detection and Mitigation
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board named improving pipeline leak detection and mitigation as an item on its “Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements” for 2021-2022, the agency announced.
Improving Natural Gas Distribution Systems to Ease Pressure Risks
This article examines redundant overpressure protection (OPP) requirements at the city gates in the U.S. and how several operators are at risk of noncompliance as states begin to enforce redundant OPP requirements specifically at the city gates.

- FERC Approves TC Energy's 1,377-Mile West Coast Pipeline Expansion
- Kinder Morgan to Buy NextEra’s 462-Mile Texas Pipeline System for $1.8 Billion
- Williams' Gas Pipeline in Idaho Ruptures, Company Challenges Explosion Allegations
- Biden Awards $7 Billion in Hydrogen Hub Money to 16 States
- Mountain Valley Pipeline Sues Protesters Hindering $7.2 Billion Construction Project
- 416-Mile Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project 98% Complete
- UAE's ADNOC Awards $17 Billion of Contracts for Gas Project, Including Subsea Pipelines
- HVO: Fuel for the Future
- Analysis: Canada May Struggle to Recoup $26 Billion Cost of Trans Mountain Pipeline
- Biden Awards $7 Billion in Hydrogen Hub Money to 16 States