Integrity

PSE&G’s Record Gas Main Project Demonstrates Growing Role of CIPL

When PSE&G identified numerous joint leaks in an aging cast-iron gas main, the Newark-based utility faced the additional challenge of a crowded and complex substructure. Its permanent renewal of the 36-inch main using trenchless methods and a cured-in-place liner set a new world record.

Ashcroft

Ashcroft introduced redesigned differential pressure gauges that offer higher static pressure ratings, improved accuracy and all-welded construction that can withstand line pressures up to 580 psi.

Leak Detection Going to the Dogs

Dogs can perform a multitude of services including protection, therapy, rescue, and tracking to name a few. They can be trained to detect virtually anything, including pipeline leaks.

Pipe Pressure Before Explosions was 12 Times too High

The pressure in natural gas pipelines prior to a series of explosions and fires in Massachusetts last week was 12 times higher than it should have been, according to a letter from the state's U.S. senators to executives of the utility in charge of the pipelines.

Official: Pressure Sensors Focus of Gas Explosions Investigation

The investigation into the Boston-area natural gas explosions is partially focused on pressure sensors that were connected to a gas line that was being taken out of service shortly before the blasts, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said.

Massachusetts Gas Explosions Shine Spotlight on Century-old Pipelines

Thousands of miles of natural gas pipelines in Massachusetts are leak-prone and need repair, utilities have told state regulators, highlighting aging energy infrastructure risks after explosions ripped through three towns outside of Boston this week.

Dozens of Gas Blasts Rock Boston Suburbs, Killing at Least 1, Injuring 12

Dozens of explosions, apparently triggered by a natural gas pipeline rupture, rocked three communities near Boston on Thursday, killing at least one person, injuring 12 and prompting the evacuation of hundreds, officials said.

Unconventional Well Demands and EOR Drive Innovation in Subsea Sealing Technology

As the subsea industry continues to evolve to help meet the demands of oilfield operators, there is now an even greater requirement for ground-breaking sealing technology.

Preparing Pipelines for Successful In-Line Inspection

Gauge pigs provide insight into some conditions inside the pipe, but not all of them. They’re not intended to measure pipeline cleanliness or indicate if debris has built up to the point that it will impair the inspections tool’s data-gathering capabilities.

Pipeline Digs Get Assist From PMO

Performing direct assessments to verify a pipeline’s MAOP is not new, but as federal regulations become more stringent, the volume of digs will increase significantly, and operators need to keep up with the pace.

NACE President Looks to Bolster Corrosion Education

NACE International’s president for 2018, Jeffrey Didas, discusses corrosion education and other issues of importance to the organization in its 75th anniversary year.

Making Simple Smart and Smart Simple: Cost-Effective, Low-Risk Pipeline Inspection

Three brief case studies highlight the challenge, solution and outcome where innovative pigging solutions have been successfully deployed to meet major offshore operator’s requirements.

Introduction to Vibration-Based Leak Detection Technology

There are various technologies available in the market for pipeline leak detection and loss monitoring. While leak detection system cannot reduce the probability of a leak, using the appropriate system for a pipeline can significantly reduce the risk of a leak and rupture.

In-Line Inspection of Low-Pressure, Low-Flow Gas Pipelines

Maintaining control of an In-Line Inspection (ILI) tool’s speed is one of the most critical elements in successfully assessing the condition of a pipeline. Success is defined as receiving an intact tool at the conclusion of the inspection and acquiring data of sufficient quality to achieve the vendor’s sizing and accuracy specifications.

Accessible Pipeline Data Becomes Focal Point of Safety

Many of the world’s most vulnerable pipelines are in developed and municipal areas, where it can be difficult to locate miles of gas pipelines in these regions. And where locations exist, the data may not be in an easily retrievable and shareable format.

Gas Pipeline Issues Blamed for Malaysia's Falling LNG Exports

Malaysia's LNG exports fell to a four-year low in July as domestic gas pipeline issues plaguing the country since January took their toll, according to industry sources and Thomson Reuters data.

Enbridge, Baker Hughes Partner on Enhanced Inspection for Pipeline Safety

Enbridge and G.E. company Baker Hughes launched testing of new, ultrasonic phased array pipeline inspection tool sensors designed to enhance accuracy and identification of crack features and to deliver greater detail on the condition of a pipeline.

Instrument Simplifies Flow Data Control in Oil and Gas Operations

The Thermo Scientific AutoXP flow computer incorporates the functionality of a smart multi-variable transmitter in a single unit to simplify the generation, management and interpretation gas and liquids flow data in harsh operating environments.

Platform Simulates Pipeline Network

Elsyca V-PIMS is a graphical simulation platform for the integrity management of pipeline networks with respect to external corrosion. The platform simulates and visualizes the CP health status of the entire network based on known design information.

Chinese Pipeline Selects Rotork ELB for Increased Line Break Safety

The Rotork Electronic Line Break (ELB) is a self-contained system that continuously monitors pipeline pressure dynamics to provide early detection of pipeline breaks and initiate automatic valve actuator movement to a pre-selected emergency position.

Closer Look at Flammability, Inerting of Complex Hydrocarbon Mixtures

In the lifetime of oil and gas pipelines there are numerous events that could pose the potential of an explosion hazard. In case of air purging, flammable mixtures are created in pipelines in an uncontrolled manner. This article covers basic flammability and inerting principles and applications of mobile nitrogen unit technology has been proven safer than air purging while maintaining high operational flexibility.

Safety Board: Damage During Installation Led to Pipeline Crack

The NTSB said last year’s rupture of the Keystone oil pipeline in South Dakota was due to a fatigue crack that probably resulted from mechanical damage by a metal-tracked vehicle during installation.

Integrity Management of Unpiggable Pipelines

The long-term integrity of pipelines often depends on the ability to inspect their entire lengths with ILI technologies. When construction or location specifics prevent use of ILI, however, managing the short-term integrity of the pipeline becomes a higher priority until it can be made piggable.

Unidirectional Composite Repairs: A One-Way Approach to Failure

Composites can be easily over-summarized, in the same way a layman may state that all pipes are just metal. The author sets the record straight on one common design choice: using unidirectional strands or fabrics.

Examining Data Quality of Robotic Pipeline Inspection Methods

Examining the ability of robotic pipeline inspection methods to address specific pipeline threats, including surface corrosion, internal and external anomalies, deformations, construction features, and other useful pipeline features and characteristics.

Tunnel, Trench Offer Options for Replacing Pipeline

A 65-year-old pipeline that carries crude oil beneath a sensitive waterway connecting two of the Great Lakes could be replaced with pipes buried in a tunnel or partially enclosed in trenches that would pose virtually no risk of leakage but require years and hundreds of millions of dollars to build, according to a report released Friday.

Judge Dismisses Complaint Against Pipeline Security Company

A judge on Wednesday dismissed a complaint that North Dakota regulators filed against a North Carolina-based company that handled security for the developer of the heavily protested Dakota Access oil pipeline.

Enbridge: Line 5 Dented Nearly an Inch

Enbridge officials have informed Michigan regulators that the company's Line 5 was dented nearly an inch by a suspected tugboat anchor strike last month.

Liquid Pipeline Deliveries Rise 43%, Incidents Drop

According to API and AOPL's 2018 Annual Liquids Pipeline Report, pipelines are safely transporting more oil than ever before.

Michigan Official: Tugboat Damaged Great Lakes Pipelines

Recent damage to Enbridge's Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac was caused by a tugboat dragging its anchor, Michigan's attorney general announced Tuesday.