Pipeline transportation occurrences in 2023

Executive summary

The TSB received 68 reports of pipeline transportation occurrences in 2023, which is unchanged from 2022 and 33% below the average of 101 for the previous 10 years. All the occurrences were incidents, and none were accidents. While there were no pipeline accidents in 2023, the average number of accidents in the prior 10 years was 2 per year. There were no fatalities arising directly from the operation of any federally regulated pipeline, as has been the case since the TSB’s inception in 1990.

Pipeline transportation occurrences in 2023

This document 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 transportation occurrence data (for both accidents and incidents)^{Footnote 1} during the course of its investigations to analyze safety deficiencies and identify risks in the Canadian pipeline transportation system.

This statistical summary serves to describe the accident, incident, and injury counts that are presented in the included tables. It provides limited discussion and some context but is not intended to be an in-depth analysis of the data. 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 over time. 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 2023 data were collected according to the reporting requirements described in the Transportation Safety Board Regulations in force during that calendar year.^{Footnote 2}

The statistics presented here reflect the TSB Pipeline Occurrence Database System (PODS) as of 20 February 2024. 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 the federally regulated pipeline system in 2023, 100 companies transported either oil or gas, or both, through approximately 19 950 km of oil pipelines and approximately 48 150 km of gas pipelines. A further 100 km of pipelines carried other commodities and substances. Altogether, the pipeline system transported approximately 18.8 exajoules (EJ) of energy content.^{Footnote 3}

Pipeline transportation occurrences

In 2023, 68 pipeline transportation occurrences were reported to the TSB (Table 1 and Figure 1); none of these were accidents – all 68 were categorized as incidents.^{Footnote 4} This total is unchanged from the number of occurrences recorded in 2022; it is well below the average number of occurrences for the previous 10 years (101). Fluctuations to the reported numbers over this period may have resulted from various factors, including changes to regulations and definitions. While no accidents were reported in 2023, this is not unprecedented: no accidents were reported in 2016, 2019, or 2020.

In 2023, there were no serious injuries or fatalities arising directly from the operation of a federally regulated pipeline, as has been the case each year since 2017. Indeed, 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.

Figure 1. Pipeline accidents and incidents reported to the TSB (according to reporting requirements in effect at the time), 2013 to 2023

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Release of product

Of the 68 occurrences in 2023, 17 involved a release of product (Table 5). This was the lowest number of such occurrences reported to the TSB in the last 11 years, slightly below the previous low of 19 occurrences reported in 2020. Figure 2 shows the products released in these occurrences. In 15 occurrences, hydrocarbon gas was released: natural gas (rather than sour gas) in each case. The other 2 occurrences resulted in the release of low vapour pressure (LVP) hydrocarbons, and both of these involved crude oil. For the first time since 2019, there were no occurrences that resulted in the release of pulp process water in 2023. There were 51 occurrences that did not involve a release of product, slightly above the average number of occurrences without release over the previous 10 years (50).

Figure 2. Percentages of occurrences with and without release of product, by type of product released, 2023

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Events other than product release

As shown in Figure 3, there were 17 incidents of pipelines being contacted by an object in 2023, slightly below the number reported in 2020 (18), which was the peak for this incident type. These 17 incidents exceed the average of 9 per year over the previous 10 years. Meanwhile, the number of incidents where “unauthorized third-party activity affects pipeline structural integrity” decreased to 4, equal to the average over the previous 10 years.

In 2023, 15 occurrences (all of them incidents) involved geotechnical, hydrotechnical or environmental activity. This type of incident can involve natural phenomena, for example, slope movements or river erosion that exposed a length of pipe (Table 1 and Figure 3). This was above the 14 such incidents reported in 2022, but below the average of 18 incidents reported per year between 2013 and 2022.

In 2023, 12 occurrences involved fire, all of them incidents; this was equal to the number reported in 2021, which was the highest number of such occurrences reported in a one-year period, and well above the average of 5 per year for the previous 10 years. Six incidents involved the operation of the pipeline beyond limits, well below the average of 14 occurrences of this type per year between 2013 and 2022.

Figure 3. Pipeline occurrences other than those solely categorized as “product released,” by type of event, 2013 to 2023^{Footnote 5}

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Geography

The largest number of occurrences in 2023 (36 out of 68) took place in Alberta (Table 2); this is an increase from 24 occurrences in 2022 and was the largest number reported in Alberta since 2017 (38 occurrences). Increases in the number of occurrences from 2022 to 2023 were also reported in Saskatchewan (3 to 6) and in the Northwest Territories (1 to 3). Decreases in the number of occurrences from 2022 to 2023 were observed in Ontario (14 to 9), British Columbia (16 to 12), Manitoba (4 to 1), New Brunswick (3 to none), and Nunavut (1 to none).

Facilities

As in 2022, a majority of occurrences in 2023 (59%; 40 of 68) occurred at locations along a pipeline, while 41% (28 of 68) occurred at facilities (Figure 4). This contrasts with the aggregate totals across the 10-year period 2013 to 2022, where there were 500 occurrences (49%) at facilities and 509 (51%) at locations along a pipeline (Table 3). Of the 28 occurrences (all of them incidents) at facilities in 2023, 21 occurred at compressor stations, 4 at terminals, 2 at meter stations, and 1 at an “other facility.”

Figure 4. Location of occurrences in 2023

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Pipeline occurrence rate

An occurrence rate of 1.0 occurrence per 1000 km of operating pipeline was calculated for 2023 based on the 68 occurrences reported and the 68 200 km of federally regulated pipelines that were operational in Canada according to the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) during the same year (Table 4 and Figure 5). This occurrence rate is equal to that reported in 2021, and below the average of 1.4 in the 10-year period 2013 to 2022.

The occurrence rate has generally fallen from 1.9 occurrences per 1000 km of operating pipeline in 2013 to 1.0 in 2023. To test whether the change in rate was statistically significant, Kendall’s tau-b (τb) correlation and Sen’s estimate of slope were used to quantify the trend in accident rate. Kendall’s 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 11-year series of accident rate values by year from 2013 to 2023. The downward change in accident rate by pipeline length was not statistically significant over the period (τb = −0.1830, p = 0.2450).

An occurrence rate can also be calculated using exajoules (EJ) of energy as a denominator (Table 4 and Figure 5). In 2023, the equivalent of 18.8 EJ of energy were transported in federally regulated pipelines. This translates to a rate of 3.6 occurrences per EJ in 2023, slightly lower than the rate of 3.7 occurrences per EJ in 2022, and well below the 2013 to 2022 average of 6.1 occurrences per EJ. In this case, the change in occurrence rate per EJ did show a statistically significant downward trend over the period (τb = −0.5636, p = 0.0004). Sen’s estimate of slope, the amount of downward rate change per year, was -0.436 occurrences per EJ per year. A graphical illustration is presented in Figure 5.

Figure 5. TSB reportable occurrences (according to reporting requirements in effect at the time) and occurrence rates, 2013 to 2023

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Data tables

Definitions

Before 1 July 2014

Before 1 July 2014 (under the previous Transportation Safety Board Regulations [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 operating 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;

Since 1 July 2014

On 1 July 2014, new reporting provisions of the TSB Regulations came into effect; these were subsequently revised effective 22 November 2018 and appeared in the Canada Gazette 12 December 2018. According to section 4(1) of the TSB Regulations, the operator of a pipeline must report any of the following pipeline occurrences to the Board:

1. the pipeline sustains damage that affects the safe operation of the pipeline as a result of another object coming into contact with it;
2. an unauthorized third party activity affects the structural integrity of the pipeline;
3. a geotechnical, hydrotechnical or environmental activity poses a threat to the safe operation of the pipeline.

Under section 4(1.1), the operator must report any of the following pipeline occurrences to the Board if they result directly from the operation of the pipeline:

1. a person sustains a serious injury as defined in section 1 of the National Energy Board ^{Footnote 6} Onshore Pipeline Regulations or is killed;
2. there is a fire, ignition or explosion that
   1. affects the safe operation of the pipeline, or
   2. poses a threat to the safety of any person, property or the environment;
3. there is an occurrence that results in
   1. an unintended or uncontrolled release of hydrocarbon gas,
   2. an unintended or uncontrolled release of HVP hydrocarbons,
   3. an unintended or uncontrolled release of LVP hydrocarbons in excess of 1.5 m³, or
   4. an unintended or uncontrolled release of a commodity other than hydrocarbon 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.

Since 1 May 2018

Since May 1, 2018, the TSB Policy on Occurrence Classification defines Pipeline accidents and Pipeline incidents as follows:

Pipeline accidents

A pipeline accident is an occurrence resulting directly from the operation of a pipeline that results in:

1. serious injury or loss of human life;
2. a rupture (an instantaneous release that immediately affects the operation of a pipeline segment such that the pressure of the segment cannot be maintained);
3. a fire, ignition or explosion that poses a threat to the safety of any person, property or the environment; or
4. an unintended or uncontrolled release of commodity which results in a significant adverse effect on people or the environment (a release of any chemical or physical substance at a concentration or volume sufficient to cause an irreversible, long-term, or continuous change to the ambient environment in a manner that causes harm to human life, wildlife, or vegetation).

Pipeline incidents

A pipeline incident is

1. an occurrence in which
   1. the pipeline sustains damage that affects the safe operation of the pipeline as a result of another object coming into contact with it,
   2. an unauthorized third party activity affects the structural integrity of the pipeline, or
   3. a geotechnical, hydrotechnical or environmental activity poses a threat to the safe operation of the pipeline;
2. an occurrence resulting directly from the operation of a pipeline in which
   1. there is a fire, ignition or explosion that affects the safe operation of the pipeline,
   2. there is an unintended or uncontrolled release of hydrocarbon gas,
   3. there is an unintended or uncontrolled release of HVP (high vapour pressure as defined in CSA Z662. CSA Z662 means Canadian Standards Association Standard Z662, entitled Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems, as amended from time to time) hydrocarbons,
   4. there is an unintended or uncontrolled release of LVP (low vapour pressure as defined in CSA Z662) hydrocarbons in excess of 1.5 m³,
   5. there is an unintended or uncontrolled release of a commodity other than hydrocarbon gas, HVP hydrocarbons or LVP hydrocarbons,
   6. there is a release of a commodity from the line pipe body,
   7. the pipeline is operated beyond design limits or any operating restrictions imposed by the Canada Energy Regulator, or
   8. the pipeline restricts the safe operation of any mode of transportation.

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Executive summarySee Definitions section.

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Footnote 2

Executive summary

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Footnote 3

The size of the federally regulated pipeline system, the number of companies, and the volumes of product transported were provided by the Canada Energy Regulator (CER). Until 2019, the CER was known as the “National Energy Board,” and the TSB Regulations still refer to the agency by its former name.

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Footnote 4

See the Definitions section.

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Footnote 5

The figure includes all types of events for pipeline transportation occurrences reported to the TSB under the Transportation Safety Board Regulations, aside from those solely categorized as “product released.” Product release is defined as an occurrence "resulting directly from the operation of a pipeline where an unintended or uncontrolled release of commodity resulted in a significant adverse effect on people or the environment." Some occurrences may be coded to multiple event types.

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Footnote 6

On 28 August 2019, the National Energy Board became the Canada Energy Regulator.

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