List of pipeline accidents in the United States in 2018 explained

The following is a list of pipeline accidents in the United States in 2018. It is one of several lists of U.S. pipeline accidents. See also list of natural gas and oil production accidents in the United States.

Incidents

This is not a complete list of all pipeline accidents. For natural gas alone, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), a United States Department of Transportation agency, has collected data on more than 3,200 accidents deemed serious or significant since 1987.

A "significant incident" results in any of the following consequences:

• fatality or injury requiring in-patient hospitalization
• $50,000 or more in total costs, measured in 1984 dollars
• liquid releases of five or more barrels (42 US gal/barrel)
• releases resulting in an unintentional fire or explosion

PHMSA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) post incident data and results of investigations into accidents involving pipelines that carry a variety of products, including natural gas, oil, diesel fuel, gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel, carbon dioxide, and other substances. Occasionally pipelines are repurposed to carry different products.^[1]

• On January 8, a 12-inch pipeline was damaged and leaked 500 barrels (27,500 gallons) of gasoline in Eagan, MN. No injuries were reported; however, gasoline flowed into the stormwater system.^[2] According to Magellan Midstream Partners, the owner of the pipeline, a contractor the company hired accidentally struck and broke open the pipeline that runs from Rosemount to Minneapolis.^[3]
• On January 10, a pipeline in Pearl City, Hawaii ruptured and leaked an estimated 500 gallons of fuel oil into two residents' yards.^{[4] [5]} The state Department of Health says a small amount of oil entered the stream.^[6]
• On January 14, a natural gas pipeline ruptured, leading to a fire in Geismar, Louisiana. No injuries or fatalities were reported.^[7]
• On January 30, a crew using a boring drill hit a natural gas pipe in Arlington, Texas. Escaping gas ignited and burned for over three hours. There were no injuries.^[8]
• On January 31, a portion of a pipeline experienced an in-service rupture near the city of Summerfield, Ohio. The rupture of the 24-inch interstate pipeline resulted in the release of approximately 23,500 MCF of natural gas in a rural forested area. A root cause analysis concluded that the girth weld failure was caused by axial stress due to movement of the pipe that exceeded the cross-sectional tensile strength of the net section weld zone surrounding the crack initiation location. There were no injuries.^{[9] [10]}
• On February 18, a 16-inch crude oil pipeline ruptured in Yukon, Oklahoma. Oil accumulated in a 7-acre private pond. About 84,000 gallons of crude were spilled.^{[11] [12]}
• On February 23, a house in a suburb of Dallas, Texas exploded, killing a girl and injuring 4 others in her family. This followed a number of gas distribution line leaks in that area over the previous months. Atmos crew then started large scale replacement of gas lines in that area, resulting in at least 2,800 homes being without gas service for days to weeks. NTSB Investigators were sent to the area.^[13]
• On March 3, a fallen electric wire from a utility pole caused a gas line to rupture and burn in Wenham, Massachusetts. There were no injuries reported.^[14]
• On March 21, a Marathon Petroleum pipeline spilled about 42,000 gallons of diesel fuel near Solitude, Indiana.^[15]
• On April 30, a pipeline failure occurred in a remote mountainous region of Marshall County, West Virginia, resulting in the release of 2,658 barrels of propane. The failure and subsequent release was caused by lateral movement of the 8-inch intrastate pipeline due to earth movement along the right-of-way.^[10]
• On May 10, a crude oil pipeline ruptured in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, leaving a film of crude on a school playground, homes and automobiles. At least 630 gallons of crude were released.^[16]
• On May 14, a tractor crashed into a valve on an NGL pipeline in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, releasing a cloud of a blend of propane, butane, ethane and natural gasoline. Residents and two schools were evacuated for several hours. There was no fire or explosion.^{[17] [18]}
• On May 23, a pipeline rupture and fire in Bienville Parish, Louisiana forced at least 30 nearby residents to evacuate. There were no injuries.^[19]
• On June 7, a 36-inch natural gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned near Wheeling, West Virginia. There were no injuries. The pipeline went into service in January 2018. Shifting land was identified as the cause.^{[20] [21] [22]}
• On June 14, a gas pipeline in Tulsa, Oklahoma was ruptured by a tractor. A firefighter and four Oklahoma Natural Gas workers were injured in the explosion and fire that followed the rupture. An initial report said one of the injured was a bystander.^[23]
• On June 15, A Southern Star Central Natural Gas pipeline exploded outside Hesston, Kansas, sending flames shooting 75 to 100 feet into the sky.^[24]
• On June 19, a Sunoco pipeline leaked more than 33,000 gallons of gasoline into a creek near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. PHMSA said it first learned of the spill on the evening of June 19 from a “private citizen” who reported a petroleum odor at Darby Creek. About two-thirds of the spill were recovered.^[25]
• July 10: After a gas explosion, later Court documents say a contractor failed to properly mark a natural gas line that was struck, which caused a deadly explosion in downtown Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. A search warrant unsealed in Dane County Circuit Court says a utility marking employee failed to correctly mark the gas line in the street, instead targeting a spot on a sidewalk about 25 feet away. A firefighter was killed when a subcontractor placing fiber communication lines underground ruptured a gas line, which triggered an explosion and fire. Another firefighter was critically injured. The blast destroyed six businesses and one home.^[26]
• On August 1, a series of gas pipeline explosions injured seven pipeline workers and firefighters in Midland County, Texas. One injured worker later died. They were responding to a leak report.^[27]
• On September 6, a 6-inch Dominion Energy gas gathering pipeline burned near Clarksburg, West Virginia. Lightning was suspected of hitting the pipeline.^[28]
• On September 7, a Buckeye Partners pipeline ruptured in Decatur, Indiana, spilling about 8,000 gallons of jet fuel into the St. Marys River (Indiana and Ohio).^[29]
• On September 10, the 24-inch Revolution Pipeline of Energy Transfer Partners gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned in Center Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. One home, two garages, and six steel high tension power line towers were destroyed, but no injuries were reported. The pipeline had been operating for one week before the failure. Earth movement was suspected as the cause. Later, the Pennsylvania state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued one of its largest-ever civil penalties in the wake of an investigation, which found that Energy Transfer had violated numerous regulations during construction of the Revolution pipeline in western Pennsylvania.^{[30] [31]}
• On September 13, the Massachusetts gas explosions destroyed 40 homes, killed one person, and 21 others were sent to the hospital.^{[32] [33]}
• On October 18, the failure of a natural gas pipeline caused the rupture of a nearby 10 inch crude oil pipeline, in Kleberg County, Texas. About 37,000 gallons of crude burned.^[34]
• On November 10, a pipeline ruptured and caught fire in Sutton County, Texas, injuring two people.^[35]
• On December 13, a Kinder Morgan pipeline ruptured near Las Cruces, New Mexico. About 462,000 gallons of gasoline were spilled into an irrigation ditch, with some of it suspected of reaching ground water. Later, three nearby properties were bought by Kinder Morgan. The cause appeared to be external corrosion, resulting in a safety order from PHMSA.^{[36] [37]}

Notes and References

1. Data sets of PHMSA Pipeline Safety-Flagged Incidents for 1986-2001, 2002-2009, and 2010-2017 can be downloaded from the tab by that name on the PHMSA's Pipeline Incident Flagged Files page at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/data-and-statistics/pipeline/pipeline-incident-flagged-files, accessed 2018.01.10. PHMSA Corrective Action Orders are at https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/reports/enforce/CAO_opid_0.html. PHMSA Pipeline Failure Investigation Reports are at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/safety-reports/pipeline-failure-investigation-reports. NTSB Pipeline Accident Reports are at https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/pipeline.aspx.
2. Web site: 500 Barrels of Gasoline Leak After Pipeline Ruptures in Eagan, Company Says.
3. Web site: Cold Weather Helped Minimize Environmental Damage From Eagan Gas Spill.
4. Web site: Hawaiian Electric pipeline leaks 500 gallons of fuel oil into two Pearl City yards . Mai . HJ . January 10, 2018. bizjournals.com . Pacific Business News.
5. Web site: Oil pipeline leak makes a big mess in Pearl City. HNN Staff, Ashley. Nagaoka. January 10, 2018 .
6. Web site: Cleanup underway after oil leaks from underground pipeline in Pearl City. January 11, 2018.
7. Web site: Cause still unknown of natural gas leak, fire in Geismar; gas line rupture in East Iberville repaired. Advocate staff. report. January 14, 2018 .
8. Web site: Natural gas pipeline fire causes Collins closure. January 30, 2018.
9. Web site: Pipeline explosion in Noble County - News, Sports, Jobs - Marietta Times. www.mariettatimes.com.
10. Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards. U.S. Government Publishing Office . May 2, 2019 . Federal Register . 18919 . 84 . 85 .
11. Web site: Oil spill cleanup underway at pond near Yukon neighborhood. February 20, 2018.
12. Web site: Oil Spill Cleanup Underway In Suburban Oklahoma City. February 21, 2018.
13. Web site: Gas service stops for thousands of Dallas homes due to leaks. March 1, 2018.
14. Web site: Wenham Police and Fire respond after downed utility pole ignites underground gas line.
15. Web site: Location of pipeline leak found, 1,098 barrels recovered in Posey County. Amanda. Mueller. March 24, 2018.
16. Web site: Cleanup Continues After Crude Oil Leak In NW OKC. Caleigh. Bourgeois.
17. Web site: Residents explain pipeline leak scare, before the smoke all cleared.
18. Web site: All evacuations, road closures lifted in St. Mary Parish; the leak has been stopped.
19. Web site: All clear issued after Bienville Parish gas well fire, residents allowed home. KSLA Staff. May 24, 2018 .
20. Web site: TransCanada declares force majeure on West Virginia gas after explosion. SA Editor Carl. Surran. June 7, 2018.
21. Web site: Officials: W.Va. explosion was along newly installed natural gas line.
22. Web site: Feds Say Land Shift Likely Caused Explosion, Pipeline Still at Risk. Brittany. Patterson. July 13, 2018 .
23. Web site: Firefighter, 5 others injured in Tulsa gas explosion. June 15, 2018.
24. Web site: Natural gas pipeline explosion rocks rural Kansas. . June 15, 2018 .
25. Web site: Sunoco's 12-inch pipeline leaked 33,000 gallons of gasoline into creek, PHMSA says - StateImpact Pennsylvania. September 4, 2018 .
26. Web site: Documents: Contractor mismarked gas line before deadly Wisconsin blast | Iowa-Illinois-Wisconsin . telegraphherald.com . 2018-11-01 .
27. Web site: Official: One dead after pipeline explosion near Midland.
28. Web site: Crews responded to gas well fire in Harrison County. Jonah. Marcum. September 7, 2018.
29. Web site: Safety warning: Decatur fuel leak. Terra. Brantley. September 8, 2018.
30. Web site: Heavy rain contributed to Beaver County pipeline blast. Tom Davidson and Tony. LaRussa. TribLIVE.com.
31. Web site: $30 million fine issued over pipeline explosion that destroyed house in Center Township, Beaver County. January 4, 2020.
32. News: Boston gas explosions injure three. Newshub. September 14, 2018.
33. Web site: NTSB/PSR-18/02 . National Transportation Safety Board . 16 November 2018.
34. https://portal.phmsa.dot.gov/analytics/saw.dll?Dashboard&PortalPath=%2Fshared%2FPDM%20Public%20Website%2F_portal%2FOperator%20Dashboard&Action=Navigate&var1=dashboard.variables%5B%27opidss%27%5D&cov1=%22PHP%20-%20Operator%20Information%22.%22Operator%20ID%22&val1=22855
35. News: Fire on pipeline in Sutton County, Texas injures two: Local media. Reuters. November 12, 2018.
36. Web site: Kinder Morgan continues cleanup of December gasoline spill near Berino . lcsun-news.com . 2019-05-14 .
37. https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/reports/enforce/documents/520185007S/520185007S_Safety%20Order_08082019_text.pdf