Safety record
Annual Performance Report
For more information on industry safety, read the API-LEPA Annual Pipeline Safety Excellence Performance Report.
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Key Performance Indicators
Pipelines are the safest way to transport liquid energy with 99.999% of barrels delivered by pipeline arriving at their destinations safely. However, no form of transportation is perfect and pipeline incidents can and do happen.
Tracking how, where and why pipeline incidents occur helps pipeline operators and government regulators see how safely pipelines are operating and the reasons behind pipeline incidents when they occur. Pipeline operators use this data to design safety improvement programs. Particularly useful measures of pipeline safety examine incident size, location, commodity and cause.
The liquids pipeline industry also tracks a core set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as a sign of overall pipeline safety performance. These KPIs are based primarily on incidents impacting the people or the environment (IPE). They were created through a collaborative effort between PHMSA, public safety advocates represented by the Pipeline Safety Trust and the liquids pipeline industry. They reflect the highest priority we place on protecting people and the environment.
Incidents Impacting People or the Environment
Total pipeline incidents decreased 22% from 2021 to 2025.
Integrity Management Incidents Impacting People or the Environment
Incidents related to the pipeline itself, such as corrosion, cracking or weld failure, were down 6% over the last five years in areas impacting people or the environment. Corrosion failures were down 4% and material failure of the pipe or weld were down 25% since 2021.
Operations & Maintenance Incidents Impacting People or the Environment
Incidents related to maintaining pipeline equipment or operating the pipeline and its valves or pumps were down 9% over the last five years in areas impacting people or the environment. In these areas, incidents caused by excavation damage due to insufficient locating practices remained flat and incidents caused by equipment failure rose 36%, while incidents caused by incorrect operation dropped 60% from 2021 to 2025.
Incidents by Cause
Equipment failure is the most frequent cause of all liquids pipeline incidents. Over the last five years, equipment failure represented 45% of incidents, corrosion failure 27% and incorrect operation 11%. Material pipe/weld failures, which include cracking, a primary source of large volume releases, represented only 6% of incidents since 2021. Evacuation incidents represented 2% of total liquids pipeline incidents between 2021 and 2025.
Incidents by Commodity
Over the last five years, incidents from major commodities have declined with crude oil incidents down 22%, refined products down 18%, and highly volatile liquids down 34%.
Incidents by Location
Liquids pipeline incidents occurring in high consequence areas (HCAs) declined 36% over the last five years. Through federal regulation, PHMSA defines HCAs as areas of population concentration, commercially navigable waterways or sensitive environmental locations. HCA data differs from incidents impacting people or the environment because, under PHMSA regulation, an incident can have no impact on people or the environment, remain wholly within an operator’s facility and still count as an HCA if that facility is surrounded by an HCA.
Incidents by Size
Most pipeline incidents are small. In 2025, 56% of incidents were less than five barrels and 76% were less than 50 barrels. Large pipeline incidents are also the rarest. In 2025, only 7% of incidents were 500 barrels or larger, and these large incidents are down 17% over the last five years.
