Technology/R&D

CPP Completes Pressurized Pipeline Repair with Mechanized Welding Technology

China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering (CPP) was hired by PetroChina Southwest Pipeline Company to complete the work on the China-Myanmar Oil and Gas Pipeline, a pressurized 40-inch by 80-grade gas pipeline, using mechanized FCAW in-service welding technology.

Case Study: Starling Pipe-in-Pipe Project Copes with Stresses of S-Lay Pipelaying

The use of pipe-in-pipe systems for the thermal insulation of pipelines is well established. Since 2004, Tata Steel has been delivering systems for pipe-in-pipe projects in the North Sea, including BP Rhum and Talisman Tweedsmuir.

U.S. Department of Energy Announces $33 Million for Natural Gas Pipeline Retrofitting Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced over $30 million in funding to develop technology to rehabilitate aging natural gas pipelines.

Problems Plagued U.S. CO2 Capture Project Before Shutdown - DOE Document

Mechanical problems and missed production targets, combined with the market collapse due to the coronavirus pandemic, contributed to the shutdown of a $1 billion carbon capture project in Texas earlier this year.

Snam and Baker Hughes Test First Hydrogen Hybrid Turbine for Gas Transportation

Snam and Baker Hughes have announced the successful completion of testing for a new "hybrid" turbine that will allow pipelines to carry hydrogen along with natural gas.

What's New

Esco  The Esco Wart Millhog Beveller mounts rigidly to the tube inner diameter (I.D.), is self-centering and provides torque-free operation with the ability to bevel, face, bore and remove overlay simultaneously to create perfectly square end preps.  This fully portable and easy-to-use tool cuts to..

DNV GL Certifies Carbon Fiber PA12 for Thermoplastic Composite Pipe

In February, several years of hard work paid off for the pioneers of TCP with the release of the first full-carbon, fiber-based material qualification certificate that complies to the DNV GL ST-F119 TCP industry qualification standard.

Building a Gas Utility for Future Prosperity

Nicor Gas, the largest natural gas distribution company in Illinois with 2.2 million customers, is one provider that has embraced new opportunities by launching a robust meter modernization program.

Construction of Pipelines in Steep Terrain with Cable Crane Systems

Cable crane systems provide the ideal solution when pipelines need to be built in inaccessible terrain. Pipes, construction material and equipment can be transported easily over demanding areas and can be positioned at any point of the track.

Options for Low-Pressure System Now Requiring Overpressure Protection

Events over the last several years have proven the inherent risks that can be present in older low-pressure gas distribution systems. As a result, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has investigated the problems and made several recommendations.

Kinder Morgan’s Journey in Reducing Methane Emissions

The shale play revolution stretching across the United States has created a tremendous need for supportive infrastructure and, to date, Kinder Morgan has risen to that need and expanded its natural gas pipeline network to approximately 70,000 miles (113,000 km), with more growth planned to build new – and expand upon existing – assets.

Using Pressure Regulators for Site Distribution in Natural Gas Pipelines

The purpose of codes covering higher-pressure natural gas distribution systems is to provide a basis of design for the pipeline and all the components connected to the downstream system, including valves, control valves, regulators, meters, pressure vessels and other components connected to the piping system.

Flexible Flow Meter Sector Positioning Itself for Better Times

Even though gas flow can be a difficult measurement to make, flow meter suppliers are continually identifying novel solutions for this task.

Pilot Plant Advances Supercritical CO2 Power Cycles for Gas-Fired Generation

Power cycles utilizing supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) as a working fluid show promise for many power generation applications, including high-efficiency waste heat recovery on pipeline gas turbines.

Carbon Dioxide Pipelines Seen as Cost-Saving Measure in Troubled Times

By Richard Nemec,  Contributing Editor It was difficult to find a silver lining in the outlook of Occidental Petroleum Corp.’s CEO Vicki Hollub and her senior executive colleagues in early May when they prepared for the Houston-based mid-major’s first-quarter 2020 earnings conference call.  ..

Traders Thought Apple Had 'the Holy Grail' of Oil Data, but the Quest Continues

As more and more of the world is run on data, oil traders have been increasingly looking for any source that can provide real-time data on fuel demand.

What's New

CDI CDI introduced the SoniTrack XLR, an acoustic geophone pipeline pig tracking system that includes a computer-controlled audio amplifier. This allows an operator to easily listen for pigs moving within a pipeline over several miles. In addition to indust..

Living Live, Leak Free with HDPE Hot-Tap Solution

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe has been touted for its leak-free and long service life properties for decades. When gas and water service companies add new mains and service lines, these piping systems can remain entirely HDPE and leak-free with hot tap tools.

Actuators Specified for Long-Haul Pipeline in India

A currently under construction 435-mile (700-km) pipeline from southern India to a key refinery has selected hundreds of Rotork actuators for the project, according to a company spokesman.

Technology Meets Mega Rule Materials Verification Challenge Head On

With the implementation of the Mega Rule, U.S. pipeline owners and operators will be required to provide traceable, verifiable and complete (TVC) records that confirm the physical and operational characteristics of the pipeline meet the new requirements.

Operating, Installation Considerations For Pipeline Composite Repairs

Composite repairs are no longer new to the pipeline integrity world. A significant body of work has been developed over the last several decades characterizing their performance and developing guidelines for end-users.

What's New

Cortec Cortec Corporation announced that its Cor-Pak® 1-MUL Pouches are now available in the 8-MUL format for eight times the corrosion protection volume previously offered. The pouches work exactly the same as Cor-Pak 1-MUL, but instead of only protecting 1 cubic foot (0.03 m3) of space, the 8-MUL..

Correct Pigs, Procedures for Hydrostatic Testing of New Pipelines

Laying a cross-country pipeline is expensive. Many hours of engineering and planning must meet certain standards and regulations and receive federal government approval before starting construction. It costs approximately $100,000 per diameter-inch-mile to build a pipeline in a reasonable lay area. This number can easily triple in marsh lands, hills, mountains and rocky terrain. In those areas it could cost about $20 million to lay 100 miles (161 km) of 20-inch pipe.

PRCI’s Commitment to Drive Strategic Industry Research

Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) is pleased to announce that its Executive Assembly has approved the development of Strategic Research Priorities (SRPs).

3-D Scanning Used to Fabricate Replacement Pipe in Offshore Vessel

The task of replacing a pipe sounds simple enough. However, it became much more complicated when that pipe was 50 feet (15 meters) high in an offshore vessel surrounded by other pipes and equipment in a room nearly 100 feet (30 meters) high, 33 feet (10 meters) long and 10 feet (3 meters) wide.

For Inspection and Pressure, How Low Can the Gathering Sector Go?

As natural gas assets are beginning to age, there is a larger need for integrity solutions in this area. The challenge with these assets is that they often operate at lower pressures, which can make running a conventional inline inspection tool difficult.

Tips for Safe, Successful Horizontal Directional Drilling

Over the last 25 years, I have been involved with designing and inspecting horizontal directional drills (HDD) for pipeline construction, attending numerous seminars, purchasing many texts and reading countless white papers related to the subject. Of much more educational value (and fun) is the many hours spent on drilling sites, asking questions and listening intently to the folks running the drill.

John Deere

John Deere updated its line of rotary cutter attachments with the new RX72 and RX84, designed for heavy-duty vegetation management applications, including property maintenance and right-of-way clearing.

What's New

Sensaphone Sensaphone introduced a combination temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor that measures and provides real-time values to monitoring devices that accept a 4-20-mA or MODBUS signal. When the sensor registers that a monitored conditi..

Gas Pipe Upgrade Made Easy with Shur Stop

Spire Energy is a public utility serving more than 1.7 million customers in Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri, making it the fifth-largest publicly traded natural gas company in the United States.