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PIPEMAG

Source-led engineering desk • U.S. launch scope

Standards & Reference

Pipeline Data Methodology

A transparent record of PipeMag’s source hierarchy, normalization rules, update approach and editorial boundaries.

By PipeMag editorialTopic: pipeline safety
Inline inspection tool and calibrated measurement equipment

Start with an official record

PipeMag prioritizes report-level PHMSA data, the field description bundled with that data, annual-report material for denominators, and current regulatory text. A selected NTSB report can add engineering context, but it is not automatically matched to a PHMSA record.

Normalization rules

  1. Keep the original PHMSA value beside every normalized value.
  2. Keep missing, not applicable and zero as distinct states.
  3. Use an operator identifier for joins when a source provides one.
  4. Do not infer an unknown, pending or miscellaneous cause.
  5. Show compatible denominator rules before displaying a rate.
Source hierarchy used by PipeMag · PipeMag Editorial Desk · pipeline safety
ViewSource systemWhat remains distinct
Incident recordsPHMSA reportsTime, location, facility, cause and consequences
Annual reportsPHMSA annual dataMileage, facilities, commodities and installation context
RegulationseCFR Title 49Current reporting and system definitions

Changes, gaps and limits

PHMSA says current files can change after supplemental reports. PipeMag will therefore retain immutable source snapshots and note retrieval dates. It will not publish a route-level atlas from restricted NPMS data, infer missing causes, or present incident frequency as an operator ranking.

Read the index architecture for the current scope, then legal and data use for attribution and privacy behavior.