Abstract: This paper summarizes and evaluates the primary methods of software-based approaches in detection and location of leakage for oil and gas pipelines developed in recent years. Eleven key attributes, such as sensitivity, location capability, assessment capability, response time, effectiveness, misalarming rate, maintenance requirement, suitability, prealarming capability and cost, for the leak detection methods of pipelines are compared. It is considered that the applied technology of leak detection and location has reached the advanced world level for oil pipeline, but for the gas pipeline the more improvement needs to do in the detection sensitivity and location accuracy of minor leakage and slow leakage. It is pointed out that this field should be a key research point.