Maintenance

New Leak Detection Rules for Pipelines Proposed

(P&GJ) — The federal pipeline safety agency has proposed major changes to its leak detection, based not on concerns about safety but rather in order to reduce methane emissions based on their contribution to climate change.

Ohio's Columbiana County Evacuates 450 After Gas Leak at Hilcorp Energy Well

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said on Tuesday that more than 450 people have been evacuated from areas within a mile of a natural gas well in Columbiana County while state authorities responded to a gas leak there.

Canada Regulator Issues Order to Trans Mountain Over Community Impact Monitoring

The Canada Energy Regulator issued an "Inspection Office Order" to Trans Mountain for not adhering to an approved plan to monitor the impact of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project on local communities during construction.

McDermott Awarded Shell Contract for Offshore Malaysia Pipelay, Installation Project

(P&GJ) — Under the scope of the contract, McDermott will perform transportation and installation services for two pipeline segments and one section of flexible pipelay. McDermott will also provide pre-commissioning works on all infield pipelines and perform the structural installation of three jackets and topsides.

Cheniere Energy Returns Sabine Pass LNG Export Plant to Full Production

Cheniere Energy Inc.'s Sabine Pass LNG export facility returned to full production this week after undergoing maintenance, data from Refinitiv showed.

Pipeline Operator CPC to Spend $200 Million to Resolve Bottleneck Issues, $100 Million on Repair Work

The CPC, which handles about 1% of global oil, will spend roughly $200 million to complete its program to remove bottlenecks, and about $100 million would be allocated for the replacement of pumps and valves as well as repair work.

Tech Notes: Cold Bonding Used to Restore Pipeline

(P&GJ) — Evaluation of a facility, based in the north of Thailand, found that a huge pipeline carrying high-pressure water for injection into oil wells was suffering from thin wall defects. The pipeline in question was made out of 39-foot (12-meter) pipe lengths that had been welded together.

Adapting ROW Strategies to Sustainability, Public Perception

(P&GJ) — Pipeline infrastructure and operations raise two common concerns among landowners and other public entities: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ecosystem disturbance.

Proactive Integrity Management for Pipeline River Crossings

(P&GJ) — The selection of appropriate pipeline routes is critical for reducing the impact of geotechnical and hydrotechnical hazards. Many hazards, including water crossings, can be avoided by careful route planning.

Detecting Leaks Using Remote Sensing Pipeline Monitoring

(P&GJ) — Pipelines are incredibly valuable assets for the energy and resources industry. Not only are they the safest way to move petroleum and other products, but they are also the most cost-effective and sustainable option to do so.

Tackling Mega Rule Leak Detection Challenge by Air

(P&GJ) — Four years after part one of the PHMSA Mega Rule came into effect, the industry is still trying to get a handle on the full extent of the rule requirements and their implications.

TC Energy Shuts Two Compressor Stations on NGTL Due to Alberta Wildfires

TC Energy said it completed the shutdown of two compressor stations on the NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL) System and a gas storage facility on Saturday that were near wildfires in Edson, Alberta.

Practical Approach to Critical Assessments and Evaluating Pipelines

(P&GJ) — Engineering Critical Assessments (ECA) have been incorporated into United States pipeline safety regulations1 as a means for reconfirming the maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) for onshore steel gas transmission pipelines, while engineering assessments (EA) have been a longstanding method for proving consistent conclusions and recommendations across a variety of situations in accordance with the guidance in Canadian standard CSA Z662:19.

Canadian Overseas Begins Construction to Upgrade Gas Gathering System in Wyoming

(P&GJ) — The construction of the new high-pressure natural gas gathering system for the company's Barron Flats Shannon unit is expected to take two to three months. Phase 1a of the project is budgeted at up to $4.5 million.

Europe's Biggest Gas Supplier Says All Clear from Pipeline Security Checks

Inspections of Norway's offshore gas pipelines after the Nord Stream blasts found nothing suspicious, an executive at energy major Equinor told Reuters, in the first official word on the security sweep.

Iraq's Kurdish Oil Output Falls as Pipeline Outage Continues

Oil production in Iraq's Kurdistan region continues to drop as export flows to Turkey's Ceyhan port show few signs of restarting after a stoppage that has lasted almost two months.

Fire Breaks Out During Repair of Siberian Gas Pipeline, One Dead

A fire broke out during repair works at the Yamburg-Yelets 1 gas pipeline in western Siberia and one person was killed, a unit of Russia's Gazprom said on Tuesday.

An Operator’s Perspective: How to Comply with New US Gas Gathering, ILI Regulations

(P&GJ) —Traditionally, most gas gathering lines were small-diameter, low-pressure systems traversing sparsely populated areas, posing little risk from a business, safety, and environmental perspective. More recently, the volume of gas transported through gathering systems has increased significantly due to the advancements in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques.

AGA Chair Sees Future Shaped by Education, Innovation

(P&GJ) — Suzanne Sitherwood sat down with Pipeline & Gas Journal in March – the same week she announced her upcoming retirement from Spire – to discuss her career, her outlook for the natural gas industry and her objectives as the 2023 chair of the American Gas Association (AGA).

Using Resonance Technique to Test Pipeline Weld Fatigue

(P&GJ) — Steel catenary risers (SCRs) are a critical element within many offshore pipeline installations. The ability of these risers to withstand the installation and in-service loading is vital to the success of the projects in which they are used.

Shell Halts Production at Prelude Floating LNG Facility

Shell has suspended production at its Prelude floating LNG facility off Western Australia due to problems with its processes, a spokeswoman said on Friday, and is working through steps to restart production at the world's largest floating LNG platform.

Pembina Pipeline Activates Emergency Procedures After Fire, Floods Ravish Western Canada

Pembina Pipeline Corp., which operates oil-gathering pipelines in the region, said it has activated emergency response and incident management processes and is "evaluating any current or anticipated operational impacts".

Poland to Boost Military Protection of Baltic Energy Infrastructure

The Polish government has approved draft legislation that would allow the military to sink an enemy ship targeting a key gas pipeline from Norway via the Baltic Sea following NATO's warning that Russia might sabotage undersea energy infrastructure.

Mississippi Gas Pipeline Operator Lifts Contract Suspension After Repairs

Canadian energy pipeline operator TC Energy Corp. said on Saturday that unit completed repairs on a portion of its Columbia Gulf Transmission gas transmission line in Mississippi that was halted a day earlier.

API, LEPA Report Shows Strengthened Pipeline Safety Performance

(P&GJ) — This year’s report found that the safety of liquids pipelines increased across several key indicators, even as pipeline mileage and barrels delivered have increased.

STATS Claims Record Diameter for Subsea Pipeline Intervention

(P&GJ) — Pipeline technology specialist STATS Group has been commissioned to complete a range of work in the Asian Gulf that is believed to include a record subsea intervention on a 56-inch pipeline.

Editor’s Notebook: Nord Stream Questions Grow Murkier

(P&GJ) — While the investigation into who deliberately blew up Nord Stream continues, the operator of the previously functional first line appears to be taking a serious look at how it will seal and empty the pipeline before more damage occurs.

Worksite Safety: Defining Fundamental Drivers of Learning On-Site Procedures

(P&GJ) — Quick! How many rescue breaths should you administer after providing chest compressions to an unresponsive, non-breathing accident victim during CPR?

TC Energy Declares Force Majeure on 3,300-Mile Columbia Gulf Pipeline After Fire in Mississippi

Canadian energy company TC Energy Corp. said on Friday that its Columbia Gulf Transmission unit declared a force majeure event at its Corinth natural gas compressor station in Mississippi due to a fire, which had been extinguished.

Shell's Zydeco Pipeline Shut on April 25 After Oil Leak

Shell Pipeline Co.'s Zydeco oil pipeline — which alleviates transportation bottlenecks of crude arriving in Houston from the Eagle Ford, Permian and Bakken regions — was shut on April 25 after a limited release of crude oil was detected in the Intracoastal Waterway.