Monitoring

Pipeline Movement, Landslides Navigated with Technology

Bearing the responsibility of ensuring the continuous flow of energy resources through vast networks of pipelines, the custodians of pipeline integrity face an ever-present challenge: geohazards.

Protection in Renewal Biogas Systems for Increased Pipeline Reliability

Biogas is a renewable fuel generated through the anaerobic fermentation of organic matter. Biogas is a mixture of gases, mainly methane and carbon dioxide, accompanied by trace elements dependent on the feedstock and production method.

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.

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.

Optimizing Emergency Response Through Alarm Management

With the implementation of the PHMSA Control Room Management (CRM) Rule in 2012, pipeline operators and control room managers have become familiar with the fundamentals of alarm management.

Spotlight on Supply Chain: How Companies Can Avoid Uncertainty

Supply-chain uncertainty is a major headache for many sectors across the world. Minimizing supply-chain risks could help oil and gas firms better secure their labor and materials while cutting costs by up to 15%.

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.

Creating Efficiencies with Turn-Key Integrity Solutions

(P&GJ) — As countries around the globe work to reduce emissions, the transition from coal to natural gas is an important step that many pipeline operators are pursuing, as part of their strategy to meet emission targets and move to lower carbon energy sources.

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.

ABB, Luna Innovations Collaborate on World’s Largest Fiber Optic-Based Gas Pipeline Monitoring System

Luna Innovations and automation contractor ABB collaborated with the system operator to provide leak detection, pipeline security and facility security across the 1,811 km route in a project spanning six years.

Proposed PHMSA Leak Detection Changes Run into Opposition

(P&GJ) — While the CEQ’s proposed NEPA changes would affect how all federal agencies review potential GHG emissions for various industry energy construction projects, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) wants to restrict methane emissions for already-installed pipelines, as well as new ones.

Emerging Threats of Climate Change, Vandalism

(P&GJ) — Pipeline integrity management systems (PIMS) are now in common practice, driven by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) requirements in the U.S. In June 2022, PHMSA updated an advisory bulletin on earth movement and geohazards, to monitor changing weather patterns and consider the risk posed by climate change.

Internal Corrosion’s Threat to Pipeline Integrity

(P&GJ) — Pipeline integrity is critical for ensuring the safe transportation of oil and gas products. Internal corrosion is an element of pipeline integrity that poses a significant concern for operators. According to PHMSA, “internal corrosion historically accounts for approximately 60% of all pipeline incidents caused by corrosion in transmission and gathering pipelines.”

Paradigm Shifts in Natural Gas Measurement, Maintenance

(P&GJ) — What drives paradigm shifts? Are paradigm shifts in industry the result of changes in behavior which lead to technology innovation, or does technology innovation precede paradigm shifts in behavior? This existential “what came first, the chicken or the egg” question may not have a universal answer, but in mature, risk averse, and regulated industries, the answer is almost universally the latter.

Bakken Case Study: Expanding Operations Depends on Thick-Walled HDPE Pipe

(P&GJ) – As Continental Resources expands its operation in Dunn County, North Dakota, an important component is the use of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe that was selected not only for its integrity but also because it can be installed without scaring the environment.

Plugging the Leak: Tackling Methane Emissions

(P&GJ) — The oil and gas industry is heavily regulated by a number of governing bodies, including the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to ensure pipelines run efficiently and safely. However, no matter how controlled operations are, toxic vapors from fugitive emissions continue to be a problem.

Embracing Sustainability Across Pipelines Requires Digital Transformation

(P&GJ) — The environment in which pipelines must operate is changing rapidly and dramatically, as constant shifts in the global marketplace have underscored a need for increasing flexibility.

Significance of API 1164 in Safeguarding Pipelines

(P&GJ) — Digital connectivity comes at a steep cost: security. Hardly a news cycle goes by without word of a cyberattack compromising sensitive data. Yet, the proverbial genie is already out of the bottle.

Maintaining a Focus on Physical Security in a Cyber-focused World

(P&GJ) — In today’s technology-driven world, where cyber-threats dominate headlines and organizations invest significant resources in safeguarding their OT and IT infrastructure from digital threat vectors, the importance of facility physical security can sometimes be overlooked. However, it remains an essential component of enterprise risk mitigation.

Seismologists Detected Blast-Like Waves Near Broken Baltic Sea Pipeline

Nordic and Baltic seismologists said that they had detected blast-like waves on Sunday when a Baltic Sea gas pipeline ruptured but that the data was not strong enough to determine whether explosives were involved.

U.S. Supports Finland, Estonia as It Probes Baltic Gas Pipeline Burst

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday the United States would support Finland and Estonia as they probe damage to a gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable under the Baltic Sea.

Nordics, Baltics Tighten Security at Energy Installations After Baltic Sea Pipe Burst

Norway and Lithuania tightened security at onshore energy installations following Sunday's gas pipeline gas leak in the Baltic Sea, while Finland recommended energy operators to be more aware of security.

'Outside Activity' Likely Damaged Gas Pipeline, Telecoms Cable, Finland Says

A subsea gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea have been damaged in what may have been a deliberate act, the Finnish government said on Tuesday.

Repairing Finland-Estonia Gas Pipeline May Take Months, Operator Says

Repairing a subsea gas pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia that was shut on Sunday due to a suspected leak could take months or more if a puncture is confirmed, Finnish gas system operator Gasgrid said.

Gas Pipeline Between Finland and Estonia Shut After Suspected Leak

A subsea gas pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia was shut early on Sunday after an unusual drop in pressure probably caused by a leak, Finnish gas system company Gasgrid and Estonian operator Elering said.

Non-Contact, Drone-Based Technology for Movement Assessment

(P&GJ) — Based on its R&D experience, Skipper NDT decided in 2019 to address pipeline geolocation and strain assessment using UAS. This effort has provided a 2.2-kg and a 160-cm wide embedded system that can be easily mounted on any UAS.

Residual Stress in Predicted Failure Pressure Calculation—Part 2

(P&GJ) — An objective was to determine residual stress values corresponding to target probabilities, such as the 90th percentile. Every reference reviewed reported maximum stress levels, but only one-third of the references presented other residual stresses as they vary with position in the pipe.

At Least 15 Killed in Explosion at Illegal Nigerian Oil Refinery

At least 37 people, including two pregnant women, were burned to death after a blast at an illegal oil refinery in southern Nigeria, a local security official and community leader said on Tuesday.

US LNG Exports Slump in September as Plant Outages Pare Output

U.S. LNG exports in September decreased slightly compared to August, primarily due to maintenance outages at key gas-processing plants. Cheniere's Corpus Christi facility operated at reduced capacity for four days, while ongoing maintenance at Berkshire Hathaway Energy's Cove Point facility in Maryland also impacted LNG exports last month.