Features

Keystone Pipeline Project Moving Toward Completion

Construction on TransCanada Corporation’s long-distance, large-diameter C$5.2 billion Keystone crude oil pipeline reaching from Canada’s Alberta oil fields to markets in the U.S. Midwest is grinding to completion after more than two years of intensive construction activity.

Authored by: Buddy Ives, Contributing Editor | Sneak preview from September's issue

PLCA Canada Holds 56th Annual Convention In Newfoundland

Roughly 280 delegates braved the weather and travel to attend the 56th annual meeting held at the Sheraton in St. John’s Newfoundland. There were representatives present from 16 regular and 46 associate member firms, plus the pipeline craft unions and various guests including several past presidents. At the end of 2009 the association had 34 regular members and 66 associates.

Authored by: Oliver Klinger, Publisher | August 2010 Vol. 237 No. 8

Airborne Leak Detector Certified In Germany For Urban Gas Grids

The first German airborne technology for detecting very small natural gas pipeline leakages in built-up or rural areas was recently tested and certified by the DVGW, the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water.

Authored by: Axel Scherello, Matthias Ulbricht and Thomas Kern | August 2010 Vol. 237 No. 8

Systematic Approach Devised To Enhance Inspection/Maintenance Communications And Performance

The quantity of equipment associated with upstream natural gas or oil gathering networks represents an inspection and maintenance challenge equivalent to a moderately sized refinery, but complicated by being dispersed over a large geographic area. A gas or oil gathering system consisting of a thousand well sites would be expected to include about 50 small processing and transmission facilities, up to a thousand pipeline segments and one or more large processing facilities or terminals.

Authored by: Paul F. Schubert, Ph.D. | August 2010 Vol. 237 No. 8

Polyurethane And Pipeline Pigs Make A Perfect Match

Pigs have been squealing in pipelines for decades. A lot has changed, however, since the first modern-day pipeline pigs were introduced in the early 1940s. Many would cite the development in recent years of smart pigs, also called inline inspection (ILI) tools, as the biggest change. These pigs, which use sensors and computers to accurately inspect and analyze pipeline conditions and problems, do represent a vital improvement in the technology.

Authored by: Dick Williamson, Jack Rankin and Larry Payne | August 2010 Vol. 237 No. 8

PPSA Celebrates 20th Anniversary

In 2010, the Pigging Products & Services Association (PPSA) celebrates its 20th anniversary. Based in the UK, PPSA was founded in 1990 to promote the knowledge of pigging and its related products and services by providing a channel of communication between the members themselves and with users and other interested parties. Its members are comprised of companies that manufacture or market pigging products or services, companies connected with the industry or individuals with an interest pigging products or services.

Authored by: Jim Cordell, Founder, Pigging Products & Services Association, Suffolk, England | August 2010 Vol. 237 No. 8

Update On The Development Of International Standards For Pipeline Coatings

A new international standard for pipeline concrete coatings - ISO 21809-5:2010 - Petroleum and natural gas industries - External coatings for buried or submerged pipelines used in pipeline transportation systems - Part 5: External concrete coatings – was published on March 18, 2010, by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Authored by: Vlad Popovici, Toronto, Ontario | August 2010 Vol. 237 No. 8

Improving Gas Controllers’ Competencies Through Computerized Simulation

Promigas is the only transmission company responsible for transporting natural gas to the majority of towns on the Colombian Atlantic Coast in South America. The natural gas is received from several production companies connected to Promigas’ pipeline transmission system, such as Chevron, Pacific Rubiales, Geoproduction and Solana.

Authored by: Alejandro Villalba, Carlos J Castaño and Michael Istre | August 2010 Vol. 237 No. 8

Multi-diameter Inline Tool Inspects The Previously Unpiggable

Around the world, almost 30% of oil and gas transmission pipelines are not suitable for inspection using conventional inline inspection (ILI) tools. In fact, many of these lines were built before intelligent pigging had even been invented. The challenges facing “unpiggable” pipelines are often associated with reduced bore valves, miter bends or changes in diameter. PII Pipeline Solutions has identified this as an opportunity to combine its pipeline inspection experience with the requirement of pipeline operating companies to develop technologies to inspect these challenging pipelines.

Authored by: Chris Whitney, El Paso Pipeline Group; and Eric Quick, Mike Blount and Andrew Bain, PII Pipeline Solutions, a joint venture of GE Oil & Gas and Al Shaheen | August 2010 Vol. 237 No. 8

P&GJ’s Mid-Year International Pipeline Report

P&GJ’s mid-year international/offshore report shows planned pipeline miles remain higher than actual pipeline construction mileage. Figures show the international sector accounts for 81,752 miles of crude oil, natural gas and refined products pipelines under construction and planned. Of these, 50,355 miles represent pipelines in the feasibility and front end engineering design phase while 31,215 miles account for pipelines in various phases of construction.

Authored by: Rita Tubb, Managing Editor | August 2010 Vol. 237 No. 8