There are incidents of pipeline theft in the United States, but it is not as prevalent as in other countries such as Mexico and Nigeria. See Dan Burges, Cargo Theft, Loss Prevention and Supply Chain Security 244 (2011). Pipeline accidents are more common, and the primary cause of pipeline accidents has been excavation damage by third parties, otherwise referred to as “outside force” damage. Carol M. Parker, The Pipeline Industry Meets Grief Unimaginable: Congress Reacts with the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002, Nat. Resources J. at 233, 255 (2004). “Outside force damage” is a catchall term that encompasses third party excavation damage and vandalism. Id.
There are several regulatory bodies that deal with this in the United States.
There are several regulatory bodies that deal with this in the United States.