According to the API advisory, PPTS Advisory 2009-5, facility releases account for more than half of the incidents in the hazardous liquids industry’s Pipeline Performance Tracking System (PPTS).
The facility leaks were lower in consequence as, typically, the leaks were lower in volume and they were contained in the facility.
About half of the 180 reported incidents involved tubing and small piping. Improper installation was one of the largest causes of these releases, Vibration was another frequently reported cause.
Almost half of the 180 incidents reported involved a fitting, not the pipe itself. Two-thirds of incidents in both the tubing/small piping and the relief line category failed at the fitting. Thus, quality installation and periodic inspection of fittings can be important.
Internal corrosion continues to be a problem in facilities, especially for tubing and small piping, dead legs, drain lines and relief lines, and particularly for crude operators.
Source: API-PPTS 2009-05 Advisory
“New Findings on Releases from Facility Piping.”