This document is a summary of selected 2017 pipeline safety data. It covers federally regulated pipelines only. 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 2017 data were collected according to the reporting requirements described in the TSB Regulations in force during that calendar year.
The statistics presented here reflect the TSB database at 9 February 2018. Since the occurrence data are constantly being updated in the live database, the statistics may change slightly over time.
Also, as many occurrences are not formally investigated, information recorded on some occurrences may not have been verified.
The pipeline system
In 2017, in the federally-regulated pipeline system, 32 companies transported over 200 million cubic metresFootnote 1 of oil through approximately 17 200 km of oil pipelines (including 10 companies that transported both oil and gas). Also in 2017, 70 companies transported over 180 billion cubic metres of gas through approximately 52 360 km of gas pipelines (including 10 companies that transported both oil and gas). A further 1110 km of pipelines carry other commodities and substances. Altogether, this represents approximately 16.8 exajoules (EJ) of energy content transported.Footnote 2
Accidents
Overview of accidents
There were 5 pipeline accidents in the 127 pipeline occurrencesFootnote 3 reported to the TSB in 2017 (Table 1). This is more than in the previous 2 years (each of which had zero pipeline accidents), and below the average of 6.7 accidents per year over the previous 10-year period (Figure 1). Product was released in 4 of the 5 accidents in 2017 and 1 of the 5 accidents involved fire.
Figure 1 data table
| Year | Number of accidents | Accidents per EJ | Accidents per 1000 km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 7 | 0.5 | |
| 2008 | 6 | 0.5 | |
| 2009 | 15 | 1.2 | |
| 2010 | 11 | 0.9 | |
| 2011 | 5 | 0.4 | 0.07 |
| 2012 | 7 | 0.5 | 0.10 |
| 2013 | 11 | 0.8 | 0.16 |
| 2014 | 5 | 0.3 | 0.07 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.00 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.00 |
| 2017 | 5 | 0.3 | 0.07 |
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. However, in 2017, 1 person was seriously injured. This was the first serious injury directly resulting from the operation of a pipeline since 2012.
Pipeline activity in Canada, measured in exajoules (EJ) of energy transported, increased more than 4% from 2016.Footnote 4 The total length of operating pipelines decreased slightly to 70 700 km,Footnote 5,Footnote 6 which is nearly equal to the average figure (70 600 km) for the preceding 5 years.
The number of accidents per 1000 km of operating pipeline and number of accidents per exajoules of energy transported are general indicators of pipeline transportation safety in Canada (Table 4 and Figure 1). The 2017 accident rate of 0.3 pipeline accidents per EJFootnote 7 was above the zero rate recorded for the previous 2 years, but below the annual average of 0.5 for the years 2007 to 2016. The accident rate of 0.07 accidents per 1000 km in 2017 is above the zero rate of the previous 2 years but equal to the annual average of 0.07 for the years 2011 to 2016 (no data available for previous years).
Occurrences
Occurrence rates
There were 127 pipeline occurrences in 2017, an increase of 22% over the previous year’s count of 104, and the first increase since new TSB Regulations came into effect in July 2014.Footnote 8 As a result, the overall occurrence rate increased to 7.5 occurrences per EJ (Figure 2). This is above the rate of 6.5 seen in 2016, but below the previous 10-year average of 9.3. Compared to the total length of operating pipelines in Canada, the occurrence rate increased slightly to 1.8 from 1.5 occurrences per 1000 km of operating pipeline. This is about equal to the average rate for the previous 5-year period from 2012 to 2016.
Figure 2 data table
| Year | Number of occurrences | Occurrences per EJ | Occurrences per 1000 km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 70 | 5.3 | |
| 2008 | 90 | 7.2 | |
| 2009 | 134 | 10.8 | |
| 2010 | 155 | 12.5 | |
| 2011 | 172 | 13.2 | 2.5 |
| 2012 | 180 | 13.4 | 2.6 |
| 2013 | 131 | 9.3 | 1.9 |
| 2014 | 123 | 8.2 | 1.7 |
| 2015 | 110 | 7.0 | 1.6 |
| 2016 | 104 | 6.5 | 1.5 |
| 2017 | 127 | 7.5 | 1.8 |
Occurrence categories
The TSB tracks pipeline occurrences in specified categories. These categories are not mutually exclusive, and each pipeline occurrence may be counted in multiple categories. For example, an occurrence may involve both the release of product and a fire.
In 2017, the most common pipeline occurrence category was the release of product (74 of 127 occurrences). This is less than the annual average of 98 occurrences with product release during the previous 10 years.
Occurrences involving operation beyond limits were reported 20 times during 2017. With an average of 12 such occurrences per year over the previous 10-year period, operation beyond limits was the next most common occurrence category.
Of note, there were 16 incidents involving geotechnical, hydrotechnical, or environmental activity in 2017, which is more than the average of 1 occurrence per year, over the previous 10 years. This increase may be related to the unusually wet weather experienced in parts of Canada during the year.
Fire was involved in 8 occurrences during 2017, and an explosion in 1 occurrence. There were 4 occurrences in which the pipeline was contacted by another object.
Product release
In 74 of 127 occurrences (58%), product was released. Of those, the product type most often released was hydrocarbon gas at 37% of all occurrences (Table 5). Only 3% of occurrences (5% of occurrences with release) involved a release of crude oil. A breakdown of the percentages of occurrences with and without product released is provided in Figure 3.
Figure 3 data table
| Hydrocarbon gas: | sour or acid | 7 |
|---|---|---|
| natural gas | 40 | |
| HVP hydrocarbons: | natural gas liquids / liquefied petroleum gas | 11 |
| LVP hydrocarbons: | condensate | 1 |
| condensate - sour | 0 | |
| crude oil | 4 | |
| crude oil - sour | 0 | |
| refined products | 0 | |
| Other products: | gas | 1 |
| liquid | 10 | |
| No release of product | 53 | |
Pipelines and facilities
In 2017, 68 of 127 occurrences (54%) involved facilities and 59 occurrences (46%) involved pipelines—transmission lines or gathering lines—other than facilities (Table 3 and Figure 4). Over the previous 10 years, on average, more than 70% of occurrences involved facilities and less than 30% of occurrences involved pipelines. In 2017, 59 occurrences involved pipelines, with 51 reported on transmission lines, and 8 reported on gathering lines. In facilities, 21 occurrences were reported at gas processing plants, and 21 occurrences at compressor stations. The remaining occurrences were reported at pump stations (11 occurrences), meter stations (7), terminals (7), and storage facilities (1).
Figure 4 data table
| Occurrences | Accidents | Incidents | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facilities | Compressor station | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Gas processing plant | 21 | 1 | 20 | |
| Meter station | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
| Pump station | 11 | 0 | 11 | |
| Storage facility | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Terminal | 7 | 1 | 6 | |
| Receipt / Delivery facility | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pipelines | Gathering line | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Transmission line | 51 | 2 | 49 |
Provinces and territories
British Columbia had the largest number of occurrences (51) in 2017, followed by Alberta with 38 (Table 2). In contrast, over the previous 10 years, Alberta had the most occurrences, averaging 37 occurrences per year, while British Columbia averaged 22 per year. The majority of the 2017 occurrences in British Columbia involved small quantities of hydrocarbon gas and had minor consequences; about half of these occurrences were at gas processing plants. The increase in occurrences in British Columbia is likely related to the general increase in hydrocarbon gas activities, which has been occurring over the past 10 years. The TSB will monitor the number of occurrences in 2018 and determine if further analysis is required.
The remaining occurrences in 2017 took place in Ontario (15 occurrences compared to an average of 10), Saskatchewan (12 occurrences compared to an average of 11), Quebec (4 occurrences compared to an average of 2), New Brunswick (4 occurrences equal to an average of 4), and Manitoba (3 occurrences compared to an average of 5).
Product type
Occurrences that did not involve a release of product (53) were roughly double the average number from the previous 10-year period (Table 7). These took place in Alberta (18), Ontario (15), British Columbia (12), Saskatchewan (4), Quebec (3), and Manitoba (1). Occurrences involving the release of hydrocarbon gas (47) were most numerous in British Columbia (24) and Alberta (16), and both of these counts were above their respective 10-year averages. Occurrences involving a release of high vapour pressure (HVP) hydrocarbons totalled 7 in Saskatchewan and 4 in British Columbia, and in both cases were more than the 10-year averages by province. Low vapour pressure (LVP) hydrocarbons were released in 4 occurrences in Alberta and 1 in Saskatchewan. These 5 releases of LVP hydrocarbons are below the average numbers for the previous 10 years. However, since 2014 small releases (1.5 ³ or less)Footnote 9 are not reportable to the TSB.
Quantity released
In 2017, in 28 of 47 occurrences with a release of hydrocarbon gas, the quantity released was less than 100 m³ (Table 6). In 18 of the remaining 19 occurrences with hydrocarbon gas release, the quantity released was less than 30 000 m³. The largest release of hydrocarbon gas in 2017 (350 000 m³) occurred in British Columbia.Footnote 10 Compared with the average numbers from the previous 10 years, 2017 had more releases of hydrocarbon gas between 100 and 30 000 ³, and fewer small releases (100 ³ or less) than in previous years.
HVP hydrocarbons were released in 11 occurrences in 2017; in 10 of these cases, the quantity released was less than 8 m³. In the remaining occurrence, 11 m³ of HVP hydrocarbons were released. These numbers are similar to the average distribution of occurrences over the previous 10-year period.
There were 5 occurrences involving releases greater than 1.5 m³ of LVP hydrocarbons. The occurrence with the largest release took place in Alberta, with a release of close to 1000 m³ of condensate. The remaining 4 occurrences involved crude oil with release quantities between 1.5 m³ and 100 m³.
Data tables
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of occurrences | 70 | 90 | 134 | 155 | 172 | 180 | 131 | 123 | 110 | 104 | 127 |
| Total number of occurrences with product release | 58 | 72 | 103 | 135 | 149 | 156 | 107 | 95 | 60 | 41 | 74 |
| Total number of fatalities | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total number of serious injuries | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Accidents | 7 | 6 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Product released | 3 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Release of hydrocarbon gas | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Release of HVP hydrocarbons1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Release of LVP hydrocarbons2, 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Release of other product | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Release from line pipe body | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fire | 4 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Explosion | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rupture | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pipeline contacted by an object | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Operation beyond limits | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Geotechnical/Hydrotechnical /Environmental activity |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Incidents | 63 | 84 | 119 | 144 | 167 | 173 | 120 | 118 | 110 | 104 | 122 |
| Product released | 55 | 69 | 94 | 127 | 145 | 153 | 100 | 93 | 60 | 41 | 70 |
| Release of hydrocarbon gas | 25 | 28 | 42 | 56 | 59 | 67 | 47 | 31 | 31 | 35 | 47 |
| Release of HVP hydrocarbons1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 10 |
| Release of LVP hydrocarbons2, 3 | 24 | 30 | 35 | 60 | 72 | 78 | 35 | 36 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Release of other product | 6 | 10 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 1 | 10 |
| Release from line pipe body | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Fire | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| Explosion | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Pipeline contacted by an object | 2 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| Operation beyond limits | 5 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 7 | 27 | 34 | 20 |
| Geotechnical/Hydrotechnical /Environmental activity |
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| Unauthorized third-party activity affects pipeline structural integrity | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Data extracted February 9, 2018 Notes: 1 HVP means high vapour pressure as defined in Canadian Standards Association Standard Z662. 2 LVP means low vapour pressure as defined in Canadian Standards Association Standard Z662. 3 As of July 2014, the minimum reporting threshold for releases of low vapour pressure hydrocarbons was established at 1.5 m³. |
|||||||||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accidents | 7 | 6 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nova Scotia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| New Brunswick | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quebec | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ontario | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Manitoba | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Saskatchewan | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alberta | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| British Columbia | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Yukon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nunavut | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Incidents | 63 | 84 | 119 | 144 | 167 | 173 | 120 | 118 | 110 | 104 | 122 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nova Scotia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| New Brunswick | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 19 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Quebec | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
| Ontario | 8 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 10 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 14 |
| Manitoba | 3 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 3 |
| Saskatchewan | 10 | 17 | 13 | 38 | 35 | 45 | 18 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 11 |
| Alberta | 11 | 16 | 36 | 50 | 55 | 45 | 35 | 35 | 30 | 37 | 36 |
| British Columbia | 23 | 19 | 26 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 28 | 30 | 24 | 50 |
| Yukon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northwest Territories | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Nunavut | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Occurrences | 70 | 90 | 134 | 155 | 172 | 180 | 131 | 123 | 110 | 104 | 127 |
| Data extracted February 9, 2018 | |||||||||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accidents | 7 | 6 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Facilities | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Compressor station | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gas processing plant | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Meter station | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pump station | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Storage facility | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Terminal | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Receipt / Delivery facility | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pipeline | 4 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Gathering line | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission line | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Incidents | 63 | 84 | 119 | 144 | 167 | 173 | 120 | 118 | 110 | 104 | 122 |
| Facilities | 44 | 62 | 93 | 105 | 129 | 132 | 86 | 95 | 75 | 50 | 65 |
| Compressor station | 8 | 20 | 32 | 26 | 22 | 31 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 21 |
| Gas processing plant | 4 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 21 | 21 | 3 | 20 |
| Meter station | 5 | 2 | 14 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 17 | 7 |
| Pump station | 14 | 20 | 26 | 30 | 48 | 37 | 19 | 22 | 17 | 9 | 11 |
| Storage facility | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terminal | 11 | 10 | 13 | 21 | 27 | 35 | 19 | 18 | 11 | 5 | 6 |
| Receipt / Delivery facility | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Pipeline | 19 | 22 | 26 | 39 | 38 | 41 | 34 | 23 | 35 | 54 | 57 |
| Gathering line | 5 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Transmission line | 14 | 17 | 17 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 21 | 30 | 51 | 49 |
| Total Occurrences | 70 | 90 | 134 | 155 | 172 | 180 | 131 | 123 | 110 | 104 | 127 |
| Data extracted February 9, 2018 | |||||||||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accidents | 7 | 6 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Incidents | 63 | 84 | 119 | 144 | 167 | 173 | 120 | 118 | 110 | 104 | 122 |
| Total number of occurrences | 70 | 90 | 134 | 155 | 172 | 180 | 131 | 123 | 110 | 104 | 127 |
| Total length of operating pipelines1 (x1000 km) | 68.7 | 69.7 | 70.8 | 70.7 | 70.8 | 71.0 | 70.7 | ||||
| Accidents per 1000 km of operating pipelines | 0.07 | 0.10 | 0.16 | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.07 | ||||
| Incidents per 1000 km of operating pipelines | 2.4 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.7 | ||||
| Occurrences per 1000 km of operating pipelines | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.8 | ||||
| Total exajoules of energy transported1 (EJ) | 13.1 | 12.5 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 13.1 | 13.4 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.6 | 16.1 | 16.8 |
| Accidents per EJ | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Incidents per EJ | 4.8 | 6.7 | 9.6 | 11.6 | 12.8 | 12.9 | 8.6 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.2 |
| Occurrences per EJ | 5.3 | 7.2 | 10.8 | 12.5 | 13.2 | 13.4 | 9.3 | 8.2 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| Data extracted February 9, 2018 Notes: 1 Source: National Energy Board (NEB) |
|||||||||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrocarbon gas | 26 | 28 | 48 | 59 | 61 | 70 | 52 | 33 | 31 | 35 | 47 |
| Gas - sour or acid | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 7 |
| Natural gas | 20 | 26 | 40 | 57 | 58 | 65 | 49 | 30 | 21 | 33 | 40 |
| HVP hydrocarbons | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 11 |
| Natural gas liquids / Liquefied petroleum gas | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 11 |
| LVP hydrocarbons1 | 26 | 31 | 37 | 64 | 74 | 78 | 37 | 36 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Condensate | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Condensate - sour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crude oil | 25 | 29 | 33 | 58 | 74 | 77 | 33 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Crude oil - sour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Refined products | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other products2 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 1 | 11 |
| Other - unspecified | 6 | 11 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 1 | - |
| Other - gas | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Other - liquid | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 |
| Total Occurrences | 58 | 72 | 103 | 135 | 149 | 156 | 107 | 95 | 60 | 41 | 74 |
| Data extracted February 9, 2018 Notes: 1 As of July 2014, the minimum reporting threshold for releases of low vapour pressure hydrocarbons was established at 1.5 m³. 2 As of January 2017, "other products" are specified to be either liquid or gas. |
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| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrocarbon gas | 26 | 28 | 48 | 59 | 61 | 70 | 52 | 33 | 31 | 35 | 47 |
| 100 m³ or less | 24 | 27 | 45 | 59 | 54 | 69 | 48 | 26 | 20 | 25 | 28 |
| 101 to 30,000 m³ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 18 |
| 30,001 to 100,000 m³ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 100,001 to 1,000,000 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1,000,001 to 10,000,000 m³ | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Greater than 10,000,000 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HVP hydrocarbons | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 11 |
| 8 m³ or less | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 10 |
| 9 to 25 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 26 to 100 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 101 to 1000 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1001 to 10,000 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greater than 10,000 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LVP hydrocarbons1 | 26 | 31 | 37 | 64 | 74 | 78 | 37 | 36 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 1.5 m³ or less | 19 | 23 | 31 | 60 | 67 | 76 | 34 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1.6 to 8 m³ | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 to 25 m³ | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 to 100 m³ | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 101 to 1000 m³ | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1001 to 10,000 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greater than 10,000 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other products | 6 | 11 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 1 | 11 |
| 8 m³ or less | 6 | 10 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 0 | 11 |
| 9 to 25 m³ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 to 100 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 101 to 1000 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1001 to 10,000 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greater than 10,000 m³ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Occurrences | 58 | 72 | 103 | 135 | 149 | 156 | 107 | 95 | 60 | 41 | 74 |
| Data extracted February 9, 2018 Notes: 1 As of July 2014, the minimum reporting threshold for releases of low vapour pressure hydrocarbons was established at 1.5 m³. |
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| No release of product | Release of hydrocarbon gas | Release of HVP hydrocarbons | Release of LVP hydrocarbons1 | Release of other product | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Province or territory | 2007-2016 average | 2017 | 2007-2016 average | 2017 | 2007-2016 average | 2017 | 2007-2016 average | 2017 | 2007-2016 average | 2017 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Nova Scotia | 0.1 | 0 | 1.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
| New Brunswick | 0.0 | 0 | 7.3 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 |
| Quebec | 2.1 | 3 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.8 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Ontario | 5.1 | 15 | 8.3 | 0 | 0.4 | 0 | 3.5 | 0 | 0.8 | 0 |
| Manitoba | 1.3 | 1 | 2.4 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 4.6 | 0 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Saskatchewan | 2.0 | 4 | 3.3 | 0 | 1.3 | 7 | 14.1 | 1 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Alberta | 10.5 | 18 | 12.3 | 16 | 0.8 | 0 | 12.1 | 4 | 0.3 | 0 |
| British Columbia | 5.0 | 12 | 8.6 | 24 | 0.2 | 4 | 1.1 | 0 | 7.7 | 11 |
| Yukon | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Northwest Territories | 0.5 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.4 | 0 | 2.6 | 0 | 0.8 | 0 |
| Nunavut | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Total Occurrences | 26.6 | 53 | 44.3 | 47 | 3.6 | 11 | 38.8 | 5 | 10.9 | 11 |
| Data extracted February 9, 2018 Notes: 1 As of July 2014, the minimum reporting threshold for releases of low vapour pressure hydrocarbons was established at 1.5 m³. |
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Definitions
Before 1 July 2014
Before 1 July 2014 (under the previous TSB Regulations), pipeline 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
- a person sustains a serious injury or is killed as a result of being exposed to
- a fire, ignition or explosion, or
- a commodity released from the commodity pipeline, or
- the commodity pipeline
- 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,
- causes or sustains an explosion, or a fire or ignition that is not associated with normal operationg circumstances, or
- 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
- an uncontained and uncontrolled release of a commodity occurs,
- the commodity pipeline is operated beyond design limits,
- the commodity pipeline causes an obstruction to a ship or to a surface vehicle owing to a disturbance of its supporting environment,
- any abnormality reduces the structural integrity of the commodity pipeline below design limits,
- any activity in the immediate vicinity of the commodity pipeline poses a threat to the structural integrity of the commodity pipeline, or
- 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:
- a person is killed or sustains a serious injury;
- the safe operation of the pipeline is affected by
- damage sustained when another object came into contact with it, or
- a fire or explosion or an ignition that is not associated with normal pipeline operations;
- an event or an operational malfunction results in
- an unintended or uncontrolled release of gas,
- an unintended or uncontrolled release of HVP hydrocarbons,
- an unintended or uncontained release of LVP hydrocarbons in excess of 1.5 ³, or
- an unintended or uncontrolled release of a commodity other than gas, HVP hydrocarbons or LVP hydrocarbons;
- there is a release of a commodity from the line pipe body;
- the pipeline is operated beyond design limits or any operating restrictions imposed by the National Energy Board;
- the pipeline restricts the safe operation of any mode of transportation;
- an unauthorized third party activity within the safety zone poses a threat to the safe operation of the pipeline;
- a geotechnical, hydraulic or environmental activity poses a threat to the safe operation of the pipeline;
- 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
- 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
- loss of human life;
- a serious injury;Footnote 11
- a fire or explosion that causes a pipeline or facility to be inoperative;
- a low vapour pressure hydrocarbon release in excess of 1.5 m³ that leaves company property or the right-of-way;
- a rupture;Footnote 12 or
- a toxic plume.Footnote 13
Pipeline incidents
As of 1 July 2014, pipeline incidents consist of all reportable pipeline occurrences other than pipeline accidents.
Footnotes
Footnote 1One cubic metre (³) is equivalent to 1000 litres.
Footnote 2The size of the federally regulated pipeline system, the number of companies, and the volumes of product transported were provided by the National Energy Board (NEB).
Footnote 3Refer to Definitions for the definition of pipeline accidents. The 2017 Statistical Summary was the third full year of data following the change in the definitions of pipeline accidents and incidents, which occurred in July 2014.
Footnote 4Pipeline activity is provided by the National Energy Board (NEB).
Footnote 5In 2009, there was a 38% increase in the size of the federally regulated pipeline system when an additional 23 705 kilometres of pipeline and associated facilities were transferred from provincial jurisdiction.
Footnote 6Source: NEB (estimated).
Footnote 71 exajoule = 1018 joules (A joule is a unit of work or energy equal to the work done by a force of 1 newton acting through a distance of 1 metre.)
Footnote 8New TSB Regulations came into effect on 01 July 2014. Under the new reporting requirements, unintended or uncontained releases of low vapour pressure hydrocarbons from pipelines are only reportable if they are in excess of 1.5 m³ in volume.
Footnote 9One cubic metre (m³) is equivalent to 1000 litres.
Footnote 10TSB Occurrence P17H0083.
Return to footnote 10 referrer
Footnote 11As defined in the Transportation Safety Board Regulations.
Return to footnote 11 referrer
Footnote 12An instantaneous release that immediately impairs the operation of a pipeline such that pressure cannot be maintained.
Return to footnote 12 referrer
Footnote 13As defined in Canadian Standards Association Standard Z662.