Environmental accidents that involve oil products and derivatives are unexpected events that can affect the health and safety of the company and population involved, and generate high operating costs. The US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) states that between 2002 and 2009, the direct cost of such accidents cost American pipeline companies in excess of $US600 million.
Accidents caused by corrosion, cracks, or digging errors are usually predictable. For this reason, it is necessary to work to prevent these occurrences. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has compiled data on the main causes of pipeline leaks, as shown in Figure 1. It is interesting to note that even with advanced monitoring technology corrosion is the most frequent cause of leaks. Excavation error and natural forces are also significant causes.
In addition, the Administration has compiled information on the percentage of leaked product type with known consequences between 2002 and 2009. These consequences include:
- Loss of life;
- Environmental impacts;
- Human health damage; and,
- Economic damage.
With regard to pipeline leakages that occurred in the 2002-2009 period, PHMSA states that 78 per cent of the leaks were announced after consequences had occurred, and only 9 per cent were identified by the leak detection systems in place. This highlights the need for a quick and effective leak detection system to avoid damage to the environment and communities.
Risk identification and prevention Data collected by PHMSA demonstrates that the majority of leaks occur in the body of the pipeline. Significantly fewer leaks occurred on flanges, valves and other accessories. It can therefore be assumed that it is necessary to devote attention to leak detection in pipelines to reduce the likelihood of new disasters.
In the event of a leak, it is important to have systems in place to quantify the volume of the leaked product. This enables companies to identify the steps that need to be taken to rectify the problem, based on the dimension of the leak.
The ideal leak detection and location system should detect and draw attention to leaks as quickly as possible, ideally within seconds. It should also have the ability to accurately locate the leak and determine the volume of leaked product.
Many pipeline leak disasters are preventable. In order to reduce or prevent the occurrence of serious accidents, a reliable leak detection and location system is crucial.
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