What is Integrity Management?
Pipeline integrity management is a process for assessing and mitigating pipeline risks in order to reduce both the likelihood and consequences of incidents. The Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 is federal legislation that addresses risk analysis and integrity management programs for pipeline operators and directs the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to adopt regulations on integrity management. DOT finalized these regulations in 2004. Natural gas transmission pipeline operators were required to have written programs in place by December, 2004, and complete baseline assessments of pipe in high consequence areas by 2012.
What Are High Consequence Areas (HCA's)?
High-Consequence Areas are high-population area, which means an urbanized area as defined and delineated by the Census Bureau, that contains 50,000 or more people and has a population density of at least 1,000 people per square mile. These areas also include other populated areas that contain a concentrated population such as an incorporated or unincorporated city, town, village or other designated residential or commercial area such as hospitals or schools, as well as, locations where people congregate such as churches, office buildings, or ball fields.
A commercially navigable water way is where a substantial likelihood of commercial navigation exists.
An unusually sensitive area means a drinking water or ecological resource area that is unusually sensitive to environmental damage from a hazardous liquid pipeline release.
What are InLine Inspections?
Inline inspections enable ConocoPhillips Pipe Line (CPPL) Company to prioritize any necessary maintenance and can help prevent problems. These inspections are performed by tools called smart pigs. Inline inspection tools are used to identify and characterize metal loss, corrosion, dents, mechanical damage, cracks and other defects that may affect the integrity of our pipelines.
These tools are loaded into the pipeline and are carried through the line by the flow of product. The purpose of running a caliper/bend tool is to measure restrictions and deformations in the pipeline. The metal loss tool is used to detect metal loss along the length of the pipeline. Both tools have onboard odometers to pinpoint where there may be a problem with the pipeline.
There are many benefits to performing inline inspections, both to the pipeline operator and to the public. For CPPL, it provides a way to identify and prioritize any required maintenance on the pipeline. The most important aspect of inline inspections is safety. Quite often, these inspections identify situations that may not be a problem now, but if left undetected, could cause a problem in the future. By performing these inspections on a regular basis, pipelines will continue to operate safely for years to come.