Indeed. The billion-dollar threshold is for major oil pipelines. In the scenario you've laid out, you've suggested that it was a major oil pipeline that would have had an incident, and you've suggested that there's a three-year limitation as to the kind of activity that would take place. If that incident was one in which there was fault and negligence proven, there is an unlimited requirement and liability that exists for the company that operates that major oil pipeline, and that is essentially the legal case.
In the world in which there is some dispute about that liability, there would be the legal system to pursue the dispute between the different parties that would be involved, beyond the absolute liability amount, which would be limited to the billion dollars.