Abstract: With the development of pipeline construction and operations in mountainous areas, more attention has been paid to the effect of adverse geological hazards on pipelines. The geological hazards in mountainous areas cause different types of pipeline damage: unintended exposure and hanging over; excessive deformation and bending, and even fracture that causes leakage and explosion of petroleum products. It is imperative to understand the geological hazards in the mountainous areas in order to provide appropriate preventive measures for the construction of petroleum product pipelines. This paper introduces different geological hazards, such as landslides, debris flows and sinkhole collapses, that are commonly encountered in pipeline construction and operations in the mountainous areas. The effect of these hazards on pipeline alignments is also discussed. The engineering and bioengineering measures that could minimize geological hazards are recommended in this paper.

Key words: Petroleum Product Pipelines, Geological Hazards in Mountain Area, Hazards Preventive Measures