Statistical summary: Pipeline transportation occurrences in 2018

This document is a summary of selected 2018 pipeline transportation safety data. It covers federally regulated pipelines only. Any non-federally regulated pipeline data reported to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) are not included in this report.

The TSB gathers and uses this data during the course of its investigations to analyze safety deficiencies and identify risks in the Canadian transportation system.

It should be noted that certain characteristics of the data constrain statistical analysis and identification of emerging trends. These include the small totals of accidents and incidents, the large variability in the data from year to year, and changes to regulations and definitions. The reader is cautioned to keep these limitations in mind when viewing this summary to avoid drawing conclusions that cannot be supported by statistical analysis.

The 2018 data were collected according to the reporting requirements described in the TSB Regulations in force during that calendar year.^{Footnote 1}

The statistics presented here reflect the TSB PODS database at 13 March 2019. Since the occurrence data are constantly being updated in the live database as additional information becomes available, the statistics may change slightly over time.

Also, as many occurrences are not formally investigated, information regarding some of the reported occurrences recorded in the database may not have been verified by the TSB.

The pipeline system

In 2018, in the federally-regulated pipeline system, 40 companies transported 220 million cubic metres^{Footnote 2} of oil through approximately 17 500 km of oil pipelines (including 19 companies that transported both oil and gas). Also in 2018, 83 companies transported over 185 billion cubic metres of gas through approximately 51 900 km of gas pipelines (including 19 companies that transported both oil and gas). A further 1110 km of pipelines carried other commodities and substances. Altogether, this represents approximately 17.4 exajoules (EJ) of energy content transported.^{Footnote 3}

Pipeline transportation occurrences

In 2018, there were 111 pipeline transportation occurrences reported to the TSB, including 1 accident, which is below the average number of occurrences for the previous 10 years. Between 2008 and 2017, there were, on average, 133 occurrences reported each year, or 126 incidents and 7 accidents per year. Furthermore, there were no serious injuries or fatalities arising directly from the operation of any federally-regulated pipeline in 2018. In fact, there have been no fatal accidents on a federally regulated pipeline system directly resulting from the operation of a pipeline since the inception of the TSB in 1990.

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Release of product

Of 111 occurrences in 2018, 42 involved a release of product. This is considerably fewer than the average of 99 per year over the previous 10 years. The single accident in 2018 involved a rupture and fire on a sweet natural gas pipeline in the vicinity of Prince George, BC. The products released in the remaining 41 incidents were as follows: 35 hydrocarbon gas (29 were sweet natural gas and 6 were sour or acid gas), 4 low vapour pressure (LVP) hydrocarbons (3 were crude oil and 1 was diesel fuel), 1 high vapour pressure (HVP) hydrocarbons (propane), and 1 released a non-hydrocarbon (brine). It is worth noting that 69 occurrences in 2018 did not involve a release of product whereas the average number of occurrences without release has been 31 per year over the past 10 years.

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Event type

In 2018, 44 incidents (40% of 110 total incidents) involved “geotechnical, hydrotechnical or other environmental activity”, for example, slope movements or river erosion that exposed a length of pipe. This is a significant increase from 16 reports of this type in 2017 and well above the average of 3 such events per year over the previous 10 years. These may be related to increased company enforcement, combined with increased company inspections and reporting, as well as changes to weather patterns. Thirteen of the 110 incidents involved “operation of the pipeline beyond specified limits”, which is on par with the average of 14 incidents of this type over the previous 10 years. There were 9 reports of pipelines being “contacted by other objects” in 2018, an increase over 4 such reports in 2017 and above the average of 5 reports per year during the previous 10 years. “Fire” was an event in 5 occurrences (4 incidents and 1 accident) during 2018, compared to 8 occurrences in 2017, and the average of 9 such occurrences during the previous 10 years.

Geography

The largest number of occurrences in 2018 (48 of 111) took place in British Columbia. Alberta had 31 occurrences and Ontario had 20. The remaining 12 occurrences were distributed across five provinces: Nova Scotia (2), New Brunswick (2), Quebec (1), Manitoba (3), and Saskatchewan (4). Looking closely at occurrences where product was released, the mix of products released varied geographically in Canada.

During the 11 years from 2008 to 2018, there have been 1060 occurrences across the country with releases of product. Half of those releases (527) were of hydrocarbon gas. Almost all product releases in New Brunswick (96%) and Nova Scotia (95%) involved hydrocarbon gases. Ontario (69%), Alberta (55%), and British Columbia (54%) had a broader mix of products released, but still a majority of releases were of gas. LVP hydrocarbons such as crude oil, condensate, or refined products were the next most commonly released substances, accounting for 35% of the 1060 total occurrences. LVP products accounted for 70% of occurrences with release in Saskatchewan, 66% in the Northwest Territories, 60% in Quebec, and 58% in Manitoba. HVP hydrocarbons accounted for less than 5% of all product releases over the 11-year period, and other (non-hydrocarbon) products such as sulphur or other products were involved in about 10% of all occurrences with releases during the period.

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Facilities

During the 10-year period from 2008 to 2017, there were 937 occurrences (71%) at facilities and 389 (29%) at locations along pipeline. However, in 2018 more than half (62%) of the occurrences (69 of 110) occurred at locations along pipeline. This is due in part to the high number of reports of geotechnical, hydrotechnical or other environmental activity that affected sections of pipeline during the year. Of the 41 incidents at facilities in 2018, 18 occurred at compressor stations, 7 were at gas processing plants, 6 at meter stations, 4 at pump stations, and 6 at terminals.

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Pipeline occurrence rate

An occurrence rate of 1.6 per 1000 km of operating pipeline was calculated for 2018 based on the 111 occurrences reported and the 70 686 km of federally regulated pipelines that were operational in Canada according to the NEB during the same year. This statistic is down from 1.8 occurrences per 1000 km in 2017, and below the average of 1.9 occurrences per 1000 km since 2011.

Kendall's tau-b (τb) correlation coefficient is a nonparametric measure of the strength and direction of association that exists between two variables. Kendall's τb was calculated on the 8-year series of occurrence rate values by year from 2011 to 2018.^{Footnote 4} There was a strong, negative correlation that indicates a downward trend in occurrence rate per 1000 km over the period (τb = −0.5714, p = 0.0478). Sen's estimate of slope, the amount of downward rate change per year, was −0.136 occurrences per 1000 km per year.

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An alternative occurrence rate can be calculated using exajoules (EJ) of energy as a denominator. In 2018, the equivalent of 17.4 EJ of energy was transported in federally regulated pipelines. This translates to a rate of 6.4 occurrences per EJ in 2018, a figure which is below the 2017 rate of 7.5, and 33% below the prior 10-year average of 9.6 occurrences per EJ.

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Data tables

Definitions

Before 1 July 2014

Before 1 July 2014 (under the previous TSB Regulations), pipeline transportation accidents and incidents were defined as follows:

Pipeline accidents

Reportable commodity pipeline accident means an accident resulting directly from the operation of a commodity pipeline, where

1. a person sustains a serious injury or is killed as a result of being exposed to
   1. a fire, ignition or explosion, or
   2. a commodity released from the commodity pipeline, or
2. the commodity pipeline
   1. sustains damage affecting the safe operation of the commodity pipeline as a result of being contacted by another object or as a result of a disturbance of its supporting environment,
   2. causes or sustains an explosion, or a fire or ignition that is not associated with normal operationg circumstances, or
   3. sustains damage resulting in the release of any commodity.

Pipeline incidents

Reportable commodity pipeline incident means an incident resulting directly from the operation of a commodity pipeline, where

1. an uncontained and uncontrolled release of a commodity occurs,
2. the commodity pipeline is operated beyond design limits,
3. the commodity pipeline causes an obstruction to a ship or to a surface vehicle owing to a disturbance of its supporting environment,
4. any abnormality reduces the structural integrity of the commodity pipeline below design limits,
5. any activity in the immediate vicinity of the commodity pipeline poses a threat to the structural integrity of the commodity pipeline, or
6. the commodity pipeline, or a portion thereof, sustains a precautionary or emergency shut-down for reasons that relate to or create a hazard to the safe transportation of a commodity;

As of 1 July 2014

On 1 July 2014, new reporting provisions of the TSB Regulations came into effect.  According to section 4(1) of the TSB Regulations, the operator of a pipeline must report the following pipeline occurrences to the Board if they result directly from the operation of the pipeline:

4 (1) The operator of a pipeline must report the following pipeline occurrences to the Board if they result directly from the operation of the pipeline:

1. a person is killed or sustains a serious injury;
2. the safe operation of the pipeline is affected by
   1. damage sustained when another object came into contact with it, or
   2. a fire or explosion or an ignition that is not associated with normal pipeline operations;
3. an event or an operational malfunction results in
   1. an unintended or uncontrolled release of gas,
   2. an unintended or uncontrolled release of HVP hydrocarbons,
   3. an unintended or uncontained release of LVP hydrocarbons in excess of 1.5 m³, or
   4. an unintended or uncontrolled release of a commodity other than gas, HVP hydrocarbons or LVP hydrocarbons;
4. there is a release of a commodity from the line pipe body;
5. the pipeline is operated beyond design limits or any operating restrictions imposed by the National Energy Board;
6. the pipeline restricts the safe operation of any mode of transportation;
7. an unauthorized third party activity within the safety zone poses a threat to the safe operation of the pipeline;
8. a geotechnical, hydraulic or environmental activity poses a threat to the safe operation of the pipeline;
9. the operation of a portion of the pipeline is interrupted as a result of a situation or condition that poses a threat to any person, property or the environment; or
10. an unintended fire or explosion has occurred that poses a threat to any person, property or the environment.

Pipeline accidents

As of 1 July 2014, pipeline accidents consist of reportable pipeline occurrences that resulted in

1. loss of human life;
2. a serious injury;^{Footnote 5}
3. a fire or explosion that causes a pipeline or facility to be inoperative;
4. a low vapour pressure hydrocarbon release in excess of 1.5 m³ that leaves company property or the right-of-way;
5. a rupture;^{Footnote 6} or
6. a toxic plume.^{Footnote 7}

Pipeline incidents

As of 1 July 2014, pipeline incidents consist of all reportable pipeline occurrences other than pipeline accidents.