July 2013, Vol. 240 No. 7

Features

A Systematic Approach To Ensuring Pipeline Integrity

If oil and gas represent the lifeblood of North America’s energy, transportation and manufacturing sectors, then the oil and gas pipeline system can be considered the blood vessels. This vast and complex network, comprising thousands of lines criss-crossing the continent and spanning more than 2.6 million miles in the U.S. alone, delivers fossil fuel feedstocks to refineries, gas processors and petrochemical manufacturers, and finished fuels to end users. This network has evolved and expanded over several decades to meet the growing energy needs of North American consumers and its increasing age is a cause for concern among pipeline owners and operators. Add to this the fa