Key words: the main pipeline, building control, evaluation of defects.
It was noted that more than 40% of failures of pipelines in the initial period of operation is determined by defects in materials and flaw of construction-and-assembling operations, and improving the quality of construction works and as a consequence, the reliability of main pipelines, is an urgent and important task for the oil and gas industry. It is stated that the most likely source of destruction appearance, are the longitudinal welded seams. It is shown that the failure of pipeline construction, as a rule, is preceded by a period of defects accumulation. Results of the analysis indicate the need for research and development of validated criteria and rates of inspection at acceptance of work subject to mode of pipelines loading, ensuring their safety and reliability on basis of fundamentally new strategy.
