Inspection

New Approach to Digital Pipeline Integrity Management

(P&GJ) — Pigging is an operation that is regularly required by pipeline operators for both cleaning and data collection (intelligent pigging). Managing pigging schedules and risks is a significant challenge to operators/pigging vendors without an intimate knowledge of the pipeline.

Nanoparticles Transform Pipeline Cleaning, Integrity Management

(P&GJ) — Oil, gas, and multi-phase pipelines can be fouled with several types of deposits or internally restrictive debris. The actual type of fouling is dependent upon several factors including: the production fluid characteristics such as hydrocarbon product, water, and gas composition; the presence and composition of common oilfield contaminants, such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, mercury, arsenic, zinc, lead, iron, and manganese and operating conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure, pH, flow regimes, etc.).

Focus on Integrity: Three Strategies for More Secure Pipeline Operations

(P&GJ) — The safe movement of liquids and gases across the pipeline infrastructure of the United States is critical. Whether pipelines are delivering fuels for transportation or home energy, feedstocks used to manufacture a wide variety of plastics and specialty chemicals, or any of the myriad other products that keep nations running, pipeline companies must ensure that operation continues without incident 24/7.

Damaged Line Triggers Natural Gas Leak in College Station, Texas

(P&GJ) — At around 4:00 p.m. on Monday, the Texas Avenue and Richards Street neighborhood was the scene of a gas leak that the College Station Fire Department and College Station Police attempted to contain.

US Energy Regulator Approves Partial Restart of Freeport LNG

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the partial restart of two liquefaction trains, two tanks, and one loop and dock each, a filing showed on Tuesday. Restart of a third train, along with a tank, a loop, and a dock, would require additional permission.

Nord Stream Blast Inquiries Ongoing, Say Denmark, Sweden, Germany at UN

Investigations by Denmark, Germany and Sweden into explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines have not yet concluded, the three countries told the U.N. Security Council in a letter on Tuesday ahead of a meeting called by Russia on the September incident.

Gas Flow Continues After Fire at Russian Pipeline, No Injuries

Depressurization of an export gas pipeline transiting the Myshkinsky district of the Yaroslavl region north of Moscow sparked a fire but caused no casualties on Monday, Russia's emergencies ministry said.

Kinder Morgan Restarts Gas Pipeline After Leak at Watson Station in California - CNN

Pipeline operator Kinder Morgan has resumed operations after a leak was detected this week in a California gasoline pipeline that supplies unleaded and diesel fuel to storage facilities in southern Nevada, CNN reported on Saturday.

Kazakhstan Delays BTC Pipeline Start-Up Amid Force Majeure at Ceyhan Terminal

Kazakhstan's state energy company Kazmunaigaz has postponed the start of oil exports from the giant Tengiz oilfield via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline after BP Azerbaijan declared force majeure on oil loadings from Ceyhan, four market sources said on Friday.

Pipeline Operator TC Energy Says Stress, Weld Fault Caused Keystone Oil Spill

Pipeline operator TC Energy Corp. said on Thursday a combination of factors including bending stress on the pipe and a weld flaw might have led to the Keystone oil spill in December and that it was expecting a hit of about $480 million.

Enbridge Restores 1,835-Mile T-South Natural Gas Pipeline to Full Service

Canada's Enbridge Inc. has returned its T-South natural gas pipeline system in British Columbia to full service following an unplanned outage, the company said on Thursday.

Study Shows Soil Moisture Plays Big Role in Spread of NG Leaks

(P&GJ) — Soil moisture content is the main factor that controls how far and at what concentration natural gas (NG) spreads from a leaked pipeline underground, a new study has found.

Recognizing Value of Data as Pipeline Integrity Assets

(P&GJ) — Increased investment in infrastructure as a result of higher oil and gas prices, as well as growing activity in planning for future energy provision, means that many operators and utilities around the world are seeking ways to help them improve operational efficiency and access to safe and sustainable energy for the communities that they serve.

Value of Routing Studies for New Natural Gas Pipelines

(P&GJ) — When natural gas pipeline owners announce their preferred route for a new pipeline, permitting bodies and other stakeholders inevitably ask, “Why here?” By conducting a methodical routing study that produces data-driven and experience-tested route alternatives, owners obtain supporting data and documentation they can use to formulate a response and help obtain buy-in.

Supply Chain Solutions for Natural Gas Leak Detection

(P&GJ) — Now more than ever, utilities, governments and pipeline companies are incentivized to secure their supplies of natural gas from production all the way to the meter. Leak detection and emissions reduction are critical components of an optimized natural gas distribution system.

Identifying Pipeline Exposure via River Scour Monitoring Technology

(P&GJ) — Erosion and scouring, among other sources, can lead to pipeline exposure when pipelines cross bodies of water. Even if these pipelines were adequately covered at one time, they are at risk for partial or full exposure due to water actions.

PODS Releases New Data Model System with ILI Module for Pipeline Operators

(P&GJ) — The Pipeline Open Data Standard (PODS) data model provides the database architecture pipeline operators need to submit regulatory reports, store critical information, analyze pipeline systems data, and manage geospatial data in a linear-referenced database which can be visualized in any GIS platform.

Last Line of Defense: Assessing Safety During PE Pipe Isolation

(P&GJ) — Risk is an everyday part of life for pipeline operators, and controlling risk is a full-time job. Regardless of the operation, risk mitigation relies on many of the same things, including having the right equipment in the right hands, along with comprehensive policies, procedures and training.

East African Pipeline Company’s Hits and Misses on Inline Inspection

(P&GJ) — East Africa’s leading oil pipeline operator, Kenya Pipeline Company, has seen its inline inspection (ILI) program – for its portions of its 1,113-mile (1,792-km) product pipeline – swamped in legal hurdles in the last three years. Since 2020, only one of the three tenders were floated, proceeding to contract award.

US Proposes Rules to Limit Methane Leaks from Public Lands Drilling

The U.S Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management on Monday proposed rules to limit methane leaks from oil and gas drilling on public lands, the latest move by the Biden administration to crack down on the potent greenhouse gas.

Russia Says It Foiled Sabotage at 'South Stream' Gas Pipeline

Russia's Federal Security Service said on Thursday that it had prevented Ukrainian special services from carrying out what it said was sabotage on the "South Stream" gas pipeline.

Pipeline Fire Ignited by Gas Leak Leaves Five Injured in Ecuador

Ecuadorean state oil company Petroecuador said on Thursday five people were injured in a fire caused by a leak in a pipeline that carries gas to a refinery in the South American country's Amazon region.

Suspected Drone Hits Oil Depot in Russia's Oryol, Officials Say

A suspected drone struck a tanker at an oil depot in the Russian region of Oryol on Wednesday, officials said. Unverified images on social media showed what appeared to be a single rupture on the side of an oil storage tank, blackened by soot.

Nord Stream Operator Granted Permission to Survey Danish Waters

Nord Stream AG, the operator of the ruptured Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, has been granted permission to survey an area in Danish waters, the Danish Geodata Agency told Reuters on Thursday.

Cheniere Asks Regulators for 18 Months to Upgrade LNG Turbines

Top U.S. LNG exporter Cheniere Energy Inc. is asking Louisiana regulators for 18 months to upgrade nearly half of its turbines in the state because they exceeded new air pollution limits, according to a document viewed by Reuters.

Revised Cybersecurity Requirements Focus on Performance Measures

(P&GJ) — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the revision and reissuance of its Security Directive regarding oil and natural gas pipeline cybersecurity. This revised directive will continue the effort to build cybersecurity resiliency for the nation’s critical pipelines.

Harnessing Tacit Knowledge to Secure Operations Against Cyber-Threats

(P&GJ) — Across the energy sector and critical infrastructure in general there are many assets and systems deemed “crown jewel assets” or “mission-critical systems.” Depending on who you ask, nearly every digital component they rely on is potentially at risk in some way.

Nord Stream Operator Surveys Pipeline Blast Site

Nord Stream AG, the operator of the leaking Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, has sent a chartered ship to waters off the coast of Sweden to survey the damage for the first time, the company said on Thursday.

'Powerful Explosions' Behind Nord Stream Leaks, Danish Police Say

A preliminary investigation of damages to the two Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Danish part of the Baltic Sea shows that the leaks were caused by "powerful explosions", Copenhagen Police said on Tuesday.

Case Study: Inspection of Indonesian Pipeline Infrastructure

(P&GJ) — The natural gas transmission pipeline is critical to national energy security. To prevent future process faults and to guarantee safe and continuous operation, it is essential to identify risk and forecast future equipment failure and its effects.