MAOP (Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure)

MAOP is the highest pressure at which a pipeline is permitted to operate under its design, material, and regulatory constraints, and it is one of the central numbers in any pipeline integrity management program. Operating above MAOP, even briefly, is a regulatory and safety event; operating with a shrinking safety margin against MAOP as a pipeline ages or as corrosion reduces wall thickness is exactly the kind of slow-moving risk that continuous or frequent inspection is meant to catch before it becomes a violation or a failure. MAOP verification and re-confirmation has become a specific regulatory focus in several jurisdictions following pipeline incidents traced to inaccurate or undocumented pressure ratings.