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Finite element method was used to document the effects of temperature, environment, crack location and weld strength mis-match on the fracture capacity of modern pipeline girth welds. The results demonstrated a marginal reduction (>0.83 times) in the crack driving force for pipelines operating in a sour environment or at elevated temperatures or for cracks located in the weld centerline than at the fusion line. The crack driving force is lower for under-matching than over-matching welds. Furthermore, the numerical method was compared with analytical method as per BS7910 and the results showed that the latter was more conservative for deeper cracks ( a / t > 0.4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]