Inspection

Generative AI is reshaping geospatial technology, giving energy companies powerful new tools to detect pipeline leaks, methane emissions, and right-of-way risks. AI-driven satellite imagery analysis is helping operators cut costs, improve safety, and reduce environmental risks.

A Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline ruptured in Wyoming on Sept. 21, igniting a massive fire that scorched Union Pacific freight cars and sent a glow visible from Colorado. No injuries were reported.

Plains All American has flagged crude quality issues on its Permian pipelines to Corpus Christi, citing elevated sulfur compounds.

SI Solutions has acquired Integrity Specialists to expand its pipeline inspection and non-destructive examination services. The deal strengthens SI Solutions’ midstream capabilities and adds scale to its U.S. energy infrastructure operations.

PHMSA has withdrawn a Biden-era advisory on idle-pipeline inspection and maintenance, saying the guidance exceeded Section 114 of the 2020 PIPES Act. USDOT officials call the move part of President Trump’s push to trim federal red tape.

Heath Consultants is selling its 811 locate services to USIC to focus on methane emissions detection technologies. The deal, expected to close by Q3 2025, supports Heath’s strategic pivot toward advanced leak detection and regulatory compliance tools.

Part 2 of this cathodic protection series examines how alternating current (AC) interference affects sacrificial anode performance, including polarity reversal in magnesium and corrosion rates in zinc ribbon anodes used for pipeline protection.

Pemex reported and addressed leaks on an oil pipeline transporting crude from its Akal-C platform to the Dos Bocas terminal in Tabasco, Mexico, with cleanup underway and operations set to resume.

Nigeria’s Renaissance Africa Energy has halted oil production after a spill on the Okordia-Rumuekpe pipeline, with initial reports citing possible vandalism in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

Cathodic protection (CP) is a technique to reduce the corrosion of a metal surface by making that surface the cathode of an electrochemical cell. The cathode in an electrochemical cell is the electrode where reduction (and no corrosion) occurs.

IMI is ready to deliver 15 QuickTrak Digital Valve Control System and Positioners for one of the world’s largest oil pipelines, which spans approximately 800 miles (1,287 km) across Alaska, marking a significant step forward in enhancing the efficiency and safety of this piece of critical infrastructure.

In 2007, the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) released a Notice of Preliminary Rule Making (NPRM), known as the Control Room Management (CRM) rule. Since the CRM rule went into full effect in 2012, pipeline operators have seen significant transformation in the control room operation.

The Keystone oil pipeline remains shut following a spill near Fort Ransom, North Dakota, with operator South Bow assessing return-to-service plans. The shutdown has raised concerns over crude supply disruptions to U.S. refineries.

Once operational, the pipeline would carry up to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually across West and North Africa, with the potential to connect to European markets.

Thomas Cavanagh Construction Limited has pleaded guilty to five safety violations after damaging multiple gas lines during a series of pipeline upgrade projects in Ottawa.