Operations

Lawmakers Urge US Agency to Bolster Pipeline Cybersecurity

Two Democratic lawmakers urged the Department of Homeland Security to better protect U.S. oil and gas pipelines from cyber-attacks, after a report they requested detailed a lack of federal oversight of the critical conduits.

EAG

The EAG VOC Plus analyzer measures total VOCs from stationary sources with real-time continuous logging and multiple measurement ranges.

Government

Change of Class Location Draws Opposition Citizen organizations and state regulators are opposing interstate pipeline efforts to convince federal regulators to provide an alternative to the class location system, which requires pipelines to take steps when there is population growth around a pipeli..

Global News

Natural Gas Utilities Testing Demand Response Programs Demand Response (DR) programs have become a fairly common method of reducing electricity demand during summer peak periods, and now the approach is being tried by natural gas utilities – most recently due to concerns about limited pipeline capa..

Assuring Integrity of Polyethylene Gas Pipeline Systems

To maximize benefits, gas transporters continue to push polyethylene pipe design with more demanding applications, larger diameters and higher operating pressures. The risk of rapid crack progression and variables affecting performance must be considered when increasing the diameter and wall thickness of PE pipe.

Columbia Gas’ Merrimack Valley Accident: Fallout Just Starting

Federal and state agencies immediately jumped into action to uncover causes and preventative lessons that might be learned from the fatal September explosions, but other investigations could have implications for pipeline operations far beyond Massachusetts.

Retiring Stavropoulos Leaves PG&E a Safer Utility

Eight years after joining PG&E in the wake of the San Bruno explosion, Nick Stavropoulos retired as an industry role model for restoring a sense of pride at the giant San Francisco utility.

7 Most Important Questions to Ask a Fabricator

The process you use to select a fabricator can make or break your project. Here are some questions every company should ask before they choose a fabricator.

Human-Centric Approach to Improving Pipeline NDE Reliability

Non-destructive evaluation is essential to assure long-term integrity of existing pipelines, and human performance is a key element of the NDE process. This article summarizes an effort to identify human performance factors that influence NDE measurements and reliability.

Panel to Take Closely Watched Vote on Atlantic Coast Pipeline Station

A massive winter storm delayed a closely watched vote in Virginia on a natural gas pipeline compressor station that's been the frequent target of protests. Dominion Energy needs the State Air Pollution Control Board to sign off on a permit to build a station in Buckingham County to pump gas through the planned Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Keeping Up with the Times: Mechanical Grooved Couplings Still Deliver

It is not often that looking backward provides insight into the future, but examining the evolution of the world’s first mechanical coupling can give us an indication of what lies ahead.

Gas Remains Key to UK Energy

Gas is a key element of the U.K.’s energy mix, but the closure of Centrica’s Rough long-term storage facility last year reduced U.K. gas storage to only 14 days of capacity, compared with 87 in France, 69 in Germany and 59 in Italy.

Senstar

Senstar introduced the FiberPatrol FP7000 fiber-optic pipeline integrity monitoring system for both gas and liquid-carrying pipelines. It can also be used for fence-mounted intrusion detection.

Improving Methane Emissions from Natural Gas Transmission, Storage

Interstate natural gas transmission companies are committed to minimizing methane emissions. This article explains methane emission sources for the transmission and storage sector and the basis for emissions commitments that INGAA members have voluntarily adopted.

The Future Arrives: Virtual Reality Safety Training

Companies such as Peoples Gas & North Shore Gas Company have begun to explore virtual reality platforms to supplement traditional gas meter safety and inspection training.

Feds Open Criminal Probe into Natural Gas Explosions

Federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into the natural gas explosions and fires that rocked three communities north of Boston in September.

NuStar Energy Agrees to Sell Its European Operations to Inter Pipeline

NuStar Energy agreed to sell its European terminals and related assets to Inter Pipeline’s European storage subsidiary, Inter Terminals, for $270 million.

Evacuation Lifted after California Gas Pipeline Scare

Emergency crews extinguished a fire burning dangerously close to a Chevron underground natural gas pipeline Thursday and lifted an evacuation order that had forced some 4,000 residents from their homes the night before.

Evacuation Ordered Near Chevron Gas Storage Fire

A fire that ignited in an underground natural gas storage area in the San Francisco Bay Area prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents, as Chevron emergency crews worked Thursday to purge gas from a pipeline and prevent an explosion, officials said.

GITA's Limbruner sees Bright Future for Sector

Mark Limbruner, the current president of the Geospacial Information & Technology Association (GITA), shares his perspective after three decades in the geospatial industry.

GE's Avitas Gains First BLVOS Approval after Shell Oil Study

Avitas Systems, a GE venture, received the first civil approval to fly an unmanned aerial vehicle with radar beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) after a successful study with Shell Oil, marking an important step toward long-range pipeline monitoring with drones.

Firefighters Sue SoCal Gas over Aliso Canyon Leak

Firefighters who worked in and around the site of a massive natural gas leak have sued Southern California Gas Co., alleging the utility knowingly let them be exposed to dangerous levels of toxic chemicals.

Nigeria Pipeline Explodes, Killing 19; Oil Thieves Suspected Cause

A Nigerian official says at least 19 people are dead after a leaking oil pipeline exploded in the southeast, while villagers say the toll is higher.

Canada Pipeline Blast Risks Washington Natural Gas Shortage

A pipeline explosion in British Columbia risks cutting off the flow of Canadian natural gas to Washington State, and companies are urging customers to conserve.

Gas Line Rupture Prompts Evacuation in British Columbia

A natural gas transmission pipeline ruptured in a rural area north of Prince George in the Canadian province of British Columbia, prompting precautionary evacuations, pipeline owner and operator Enbridge said.

Open Season Launched for Plantation Pipeline Expansion

Kinder Morgan today started an binding open season to solicit commitments for the Roanoke Expansion project on the Plantation Pipe Line System.

Thermon

Thermon introduced its TraceNet™Genesis Control & Monitoring System, a new solution for managing heat-trace circuit performance on process lines, tanks and instrumentation. The system allows instant access to comprehensive information, including circuit performance history, fault analysis, and circuit drawings.

Leak Detection Challenges on Crude Gathering, Produced Water Networks

A review of the four main leak detection methods and their abilities to overcome the unique challenges of crude oil gathering networks and produced water pipelines.

You Do Leak Detection, but Do You have Breach Detection?

Pipeline companies invest considerable effort preventing, detecting, and responding to leak incidents, but are they investing enough effort preventing, detecting, and responding to cybersecurity incidents? Since, in principle, a cyber-incident could lead to a leak incident, companies should consider breach detection as part of their overall leak prevention program.

Controlling and Stopping Flow in Polyethylene (PE) Natural Gas Pipelines

While there are several established ways to control and stop flow in PE pipes, new techniques have emerged and are worth considering. Here are some options and the advantages and disadvantages that should help you in evaluating the best method for your PE pipeline.