Maintenance
Experts See Polymers Among Keys to Better Pipe Protection
Leaders within the coatings industry have indicated that there are a number of innovative products and services that have been developed recently, which enhance corrosion control and provide better pipeline coatings.
Common Challenges with Field-Applied Liquid Epoxy Pipeline Coatings
Coatings are an incredibly important part of maintaining safe pipeline operations and asset integrity, including being a first line of defense against corrosion and corrosion-induced failures.
Editor’s Notebook: Nord Stream’s $20 Billion Question
It has been more than two years since the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines and still nobody knows for sure who were the perpetrators – or if they do, they are not saying so publicly.
Using Integrated Approach Toward Geohazard Threat Management
In a recent advisory bulletin (ADB-2022-01, Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards), PHMSA highlighted the importance of proactive integrity management, to reduce the potential for damage to pipeline facilities caused by earth movement or other geological hazards, collectively referred to as “geohazards.”
Coating Versatility Can Assist with Better Flow Efficiency
Corrosion control is an important factor when it comes to maintaining the integrity and safety of pipelines. Given the growing need for energy transportation it's crucial to shield pipelines from corrosion in order to ensure their longevity and prevent any leaks or failures.
Freeport LNG Expects Trains 1 and 2 at Texas Facility to Remain Offline Until May
Freeport LNG said on Wednesday that trains 1 and 2 at its LNG facility in Texas are anticipated to be down until May, while train 3 is now back online.
SONATRACH and Huawei Launch Smart Fiber Sensing Solution for Oil, Gas Pipelines
This innovative solution integrates advanced fiber optic sensing technology to enhance pipeline security, intelligence, and operational efficiency.
Leak Shuts Down CDU and Coker at TotalEnergies Texas Refinery, Sources Say
The coker and small crude distillation unit (CDU) were shut by a leak on the gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker (FCC) at TotalEnergies' 238,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery, people familiar with plant operations said on Monday.
Keystone Oil Pipeline Resumes Operations After Temporary Shutdown
TC Energy's Keystone oil pipeline resumed service on Thursday after going offline and temporarily restricting a major conduit of Canadian oil to the United States, which sent oil prices higher.
Scotland's Finnart Pipeline Repairs Projected to Continue Through April
Repair work on the Finnart pipeline that supplies Scotland's only refinery will take longer than expected to complete, five industry sources told Reuters, in the latest in a series of setbacks this year.
TotalEnergies Texas Refinery Operating at Minimal Rates Amid Upsets
TotalEnergies' 238,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, is operating at minimal production as it contends with multiple upsets, sources said on Wednesday.
Gasgrid Confirms On-Track Progress for Balticconnector Pipeline Repair, Targeting April Completion
Finland's Gasgrid on Thursday said preparations for the repair of the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia were on schedule and estimated that commissioning could take place in April.
Pemex Platform in Mexico Leaked Clouds of Methane Even After UN Alert, Data Shows
State energy company Pemex released large volumes of methane from an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico last year, with leaks recurring even after a United Nations agency flagged problems there to the Mexican government, according to a Reuters analysis of previously unreported U.N. data.
Case Study: Identification, Sizing Accuracy for UTCD In-Line Inspection
One of the most pressing concerns for operators of liquid buried pipelines is the management of stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Detecting and sizing SCC in liquid pipelines is usually accomplished through ultrasonic crack detection (UTCD) in-line inspection tools.
Remote Alarm Notification Helps Fuel Increased Gas Production
Accurate, real-time data is essential to succeeding in the oil and gas industry. Engineers need operational data from the field to calibrate equipment, schedule maintenance activities and coordinate with third-party logistics, to keep the flow of product moving.
Marathon Petroleum Beats Profit Estimates, Plans Maintenance Slowdown in Q1 2024
Marathon Petroleum beat quarterly profit estimates on Tuesday, supported by strong refined product margins and high refinery utilization rates, but expects to cut back plant activity sharply at the start of this year for maintenance.
Freeport LNG Faces Month-Long Unit Outage Due to Winter Storm
Freeport LNG expects one of the three gas liquefaction units at its Texas plant to be out of service for a month after it faced a technical issue during Winter Storm Heather, the company said on Friday.
Solving Sulfide Stress Cracking in Sour Service
Nearly every oil country tubular goods (OCTG) manufacturer and producer is looking for solutions to sour service. It’s a perpetual issue that’s been hampering the oil and gas industry for as long as pipes have been underground.
Deep Freeze Hits U.S. Oil Industry from North Dakota to Texas
A severe winter storm shut a U.S. Gulf Coast refinery in Texas on Tuesday, triggered malfunctions at others, and halved North Dakota oil production as it dumped snow and rain across a broad swath of the nation.
Motiva Enterprises Initiates 45-Day Overhaul, Temporarily Shuts CDU, Coker at Largest U.S. Refinery
Motiva Enterprises is scheduled to shut the large crude distillation unit (CDU) and large coker at its 626,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery by Monday, people familiar with the company’s plans said on Friday.
U.S. Approves $189 Million Loan for Real-Time Methane Monitoring in Key Oil-Producing Basins
Houston-based Long Path Technologies will use the loan to deploy its Emissions Overwatch System across 24,000 square miles (62,160 square km) in several states. The technology uses lasers - placed on 50-foot (15-meter) towers - to monitor areas for methane leaks.
U.S. DOT Invests Nearly $15 Million to Improve Pipeline Safety
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is awarding $14.8 million in grants to fund projects and activities to improve pipeline safety.
Crucial Role of Testing Labs in Pipeline Emergency Response
(P&GJ) — Emergency situations, like explosions due to pipeline ruptures, often happen instantly and without warning. Pipeline managers know about the risks that come with the job, but the aftereffects of pipeline ruptures and leaks are often secondary to protecting human life.
Oxygen Corrosion Control for Multiphase, Gas Phase Pipelines
(P&GJ) — The oil and gas industry is committed to driving greater production and transportation from existing infrastructure, and ensuring effective asset integrity and flow assurance is essential to this objective.
Smart Tech Takes Aim at U.S. Methane Emissions
(P&GJ) — It’s hardly surprising that major gas leaks hit international headlines. Known as super-emitter events, these leaks cause plumes of methane to escape into our atmosphere — sometimes for days on end. However, these leaks are often spotted by satellites orbiting our planet before they are even known about on Earth.
BP's Olympic Pipeline Leaks Over 25,000 Gallons of Gas in Washington State
(P&GJ) — Emergency teams worked to address a gasoline spill in northwest Washington State on Dec. 12 after a pipeline segment failed over the weekend that released approximately 25,660 gallons (97,100 liters) of gasoline due to a small tube malfunction.
U.S. Coast Guard Finds Sheen Near Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico
The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it found a light sheen west of an area in the Gulf of Mexico where it was leading the clean-up of a million-gallon (liters) oil spill for nearly three weeks but could not confirm if the sheen was from that spill.
Implementing the New Pipeline Security Directive
(P&GJ) — The digital era has ushered in unprecedented opportunities and new vulnerabilities that can create ripple effects across our nation’s critical infrastructure. Nowhere is this more evident than in our essential pipeline systems.
Drones Used to Improve Safety of Pipelines
(P&GJ) — There’s no way around it — infrastructure inspection is as risky and dangerous as it is vital. For the past few years, companies have begun experimenting with unmanned aerial systems (known as UAS, or drones) to help improve worker safety, among other benefits.
DIMP-Related Replacement Work Continues in U.S.
(P&GJ) — While the amount of work to replace cast-iron and bare-steel pipe has declined in volume – following the implementation of the Gas Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) in 2009 – there is still plenty of construction left to be done.

- 1,000-Mile Pipeline Exit Plan by Hope Gas Alarms West Virginia Producers
- Valero Plans to Shut California Refinery, Takes $1.1 Billion Hit
- Greenpeace Ordered to Pay $667 Million to Energy Transfer Over Dakota Access Pipeline Protests
- Canada’s Canceled Oil Pipelines: The Projects That Didn’t Make It
- Diversified Energy Closes $42 Million Summit Natural Resources Acquisition
- New Alternatives for Noise Reduction in Gas Pipelines
- Missouri Loses Control Over 1.5 Million-Mile Gas Pipeline Network as Feds Step In
- Enbridge Plans $2 Billion Upgrade for North America’s Largest Crude Pipeline
- South Dakota Governor Signs Bill Banning Eminent Domain for Carbon Pipeline
- Woodside May Delay Final Investment Decision on Louisiana LNG to Q2, CEO Says