Pipelines International March 2016

ISSUE 27 | MARCH 2016
Cover story: Read about Saudi
Aramcos plans for the future. Saudi

Aramco General Manager Pipelines
Mohammed Sultan Al-Qahtani exclusive
Page 30
Douglas-Westwood:
pipeline industry
forecast to 2019
The history of the

first HDD rig designs
Page 10
Page 46
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CONTENTS
Issue 27 | March 2016

REGULARS
HDD AND MICROTUNNELLING
From the editor 4

World wrap 6
News in brief 8
Events 60
Advertisers index 64
Designing the first HDD rigs 46
INDUSTRY NEWS
Stuck in the pipeline: project delays hit
industry outlook 10
Instilling a leak-detection culture:
API releases RP 1175 16
The changing pipeline industry 20
Real-time demand for a gas pipeline design:
dealing with modern challenges Part 2 24
Prepare your inventory: how to limit
downtime on your construction site 28
REGION REVIEW: MIDDLE EAST

Interview with Saudi Aramcos Mohammed
Sultan Al-Qahtani 30
How to enhance your companys presence
in the Middle East 34
Conference programme 36
Interview with McConnell Dowells Mark
Burrows 40
Qatar pipeline isolation: fast-track delivery
meets demand 44
PIGGING
Reliability engineering: a target-driven
approach to integrity management 50
All about pigging: providing solutions to
pipeline integrity 54
RISK MANAGEMENT
Damage vs failure: a risk assessment needs
to know the difference 58
ISSUE 27 |
MARCH 2016
UPCOMING EVENTS
EITEPs pipeline conference and exhibition
now to include a focus on supply networks 60
Pipeline training in Colombia 62
Cover story
:
Read about
Saudi
Aramcos plans
Aramco Gener for the future. Saudi
al Manager
Pipelines
Mohammed
Sultan Al-Qah
tani exclusive
Page 30
Douglas-West
wood:
pipeline industr
y
forecast to
2019
The history
of the
first HDD rig
designs
Page 10
Page 46
Read Pipelines International

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2 | Pipelines International | March 2016
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FROM THE EDITOR
A
From the editor
Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor
Sales Director
Senior Account Manager
Sales Representative
Design Managers
Events Manager
Data Manager/Analyst
Publisher

Page 30
Douglas-Westwood:
pipeline industry
forecast to 2019
The history of the

Page 10
Page 46
John Tiratsoo
Lyndsie Clark
Julie McConachy
David Marsh
Megan Lehn
Bianca Botter
Katrina Rolfe
Luke Rowohlt
Gareth Weaver
Zelda Tupicoff
Construction of Saudi
Aramcos 217 km
Shaybah Abqaiq
Oil Pipeline, which was
completed in 2010, and
is an integral piece of
infrastructure in
Saudi Arabia.
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s this issue of Pipelines International went

to press, the 28th Pipeline Pigging and
Integrity Management Conference and
Exhibition was about to begin in Houston. Again
organised by Clarion Technical Conferences
and Great Southern Press Tiratsoo Technical
division, the event (see page 54) was considerably
larger than even in 2015 (which set the record
for exhibitors and visitors attending), to the
considerable surprise of the organising team
when considering the straightened times being
faced by many areas of the hydrocarbons
industry. The truism that, despite the oil price,
pipelines are needed more than ever (and to be
maintained as cost-effectively as possible, and with
maximum integrity and safety), is being borne out
in practice. The expanded technical programme
of the conference with 38 papers, and the soldout exhibition of 108 companies (and theres a
waiting list), testifies that the pipeline industry
has a huge and continuing significance for the
communities which it serves.
The potentially rosy image presented by these
exhibitors with their tremendous achievements
with innovative products and services, and the
authors of the technical papers with their
presentations on many cutting-edge technologies
and solutions, misses out a detail that is becoming
more-and-more significant to the industry: that of
the competency of its engineers. [This is by no
means a criticism: rather, as will be seen, its a
comment about how standards are to be
maintained and improved into the future.]
In the past, it may have been adequate for
those responsible for pipeline design,
construction, and operations, having obtained an
appropriate engineering education, to be trained
on-the-job, taking the benefit of the experience
of their seniors and mentors who may well have
been among what can be described as the first
generation of pipeline engineers. The loss of
senior staff through age, lay-offs, or company
amalgamations and realignments, means that this
route can no longer be assured for the engineers
who will have to be responsible for the networks
in the future. This combines with the need for
competency to be more clearly defined, and
even codified, a concept with which the industrys
regulating authorities are becoming increasingly
engaged. In recognition of this issue, the first
paper of the conference was not about
engineering or technical issues, but rather on
competency in engineering, presented by
Michelle Unger of the Rosen Group and Dr Phil
Hopkins of Phil Hopkins Ltd, both of whom are
UK-based. A brief overview of their important

remarks will introduce the subject here: their full
paper will be published in the March edition of
the Journal of Pipeline Engineering.
In their papers abstract, Ms Unger and Dr
Hopkins introduce an American psychologist,
David McClelland who, in the 1960s, showed that
traditional IQ tests and personality assessments
being used by companies to hire new staff were
poor predictors of competency. He proposed that
these hiring decisions are better based on
demonstrable competencies relating specifically
to the position being filled. The authors then
define competence as the ability to do
something well, in particular, the ability to
undertake responsibilities, and to perform
activities to a recognised standard. This has, of
course, long been a requirement in the
engineering industries, and the pipeline industry
is clear about the need for competency: for
example, the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers pipeline standard states: ... the Code
is not a design handbook; it does not eliminate the
need for the designer or for competent
engineering judgment; and the International
Standard for pipelines (ISO 13623) states: ... the
design, construction, testing, operation,
maintenance and abandonment of the pipeline
system shall be carried out by suitably qualified
and competent persons. Consequently, pipeline
regulatory bodies can justifiably ask operators to
demonstrate the competency of any or all of their
staff, particularly after a pipeline failure. This may
be an awkward request.
As Ms Unger and Dr Hopkins conclude,
Competency is now a hot topic in the pipeline
business, and demonstrating competency is
essential in pipeline engineering. Their paper
explains the meaning of competence, stressed its
importance, and summarises competency
frameworks and management systems. It will
hopefully provide food for thought for those who
have not fully considered these issues, and
guidance for those for whom the definitions of
competency and confidence are synonymous
which, as will be seen, they clearly are not.
John Tiratsoo
Editor-in-Chief
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WORLD WRAP
WORLD WRAP
TAP awards two EPC pipeline contracts

Operation begins on Shell Corrib Gas Pipeline
Shells Corrib Gas Pipeline has officially commenced operations, following approval
from Irelands Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The
20 inch diameter Corrib Gas Pipeline transports gas from the offshore Corrib Gas
Field to a gas terminal at Ballenaboy Bridge, County Mayo, Ireland. Approximately
83 km of the pipeline is offshore, linking the wells at the Corrib field to the landfall at
Glengad. A 9 km onshore pipeline links the landfall to the Ballenaboy Bridge terminal.
Gas is processed at the terminal to meet the requirements to flow into Irelands Bord
Gis Eireann pipeline network.
Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP) has awarded an engineering,

procurement and construction (EPC) contract for a pipeline
receiving terminal (PRT) to Renco S.p.a. A joint venture
comprised of Enereco S.p.a. and Max Streicher S.p.a. has been
awarded the EPC contract for a 36 inch diameter, 8 km section
of onshore pipeline in Italy, which will connect the project
offshore section at the landfall with the PRT. TAP will transport
natural gas from the Shah Deniz II field in Azerbaijan to Europe.
The approximately 878 km long pipeline will connect with the
Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border
at Kipoi, cross Greece, Albania, and the Adriatic Sea, before
coming ashore in Southern Italy.
Gazprom cancels pipeline tender for Nord

Stream II expansion
Russias Gazprom has cancelled a major tender worth US$50
million for a domestic gas pipeline that is part of the expansion of
Nord Stream. This recent cancellation means Gazprom has now
cancelled tenders for the construction of the Ukhta-Torzhok 2
pipeline, worth a total of around 16.8 billion roubles (US$220.2
million). Ukhta-Torzhok 2 was to allow more Russian gas to be fed
into Nord Streams extension, which is designed to carry Russian gas
to Germany.
58 km deepwater Gulf of Mexico pipeline

brought into service
Enbridges 20 inch diameter, 58 km Heidelberg Oil Pipeline
has been brought into service three months ahead of schedule.
The Heidelberg Oil Pipeline is located in the Gulf of Mexico,
approximately 322 km southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana,
and transports crude oil from Anadarko Petroleum Corporations
Heidelberg development to an existing third-party pipeline system.
The pipeline was laid in water depths of up to 1,600 m, and is
designed to transport up to 120,000 bbl/d of oil.
TANAP awards control infrastructure contract

ABB has been awarded a contract to deliver the control infrastructure for the
1,850 km Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP). ABB will deliver the
infrastructure to contribute to safe, secure and reliable operation of the pipeline
throughout its lifetime. The US$11 billion pipeline will bring Azerbaijans natural
gas directly to Europe and will interconnect with two others: the South Caucasus at
Turkeys border with Georgia, and the Trans Adriatic at its border with Greece.
Punj LloydLimak JV wins TANAP

pipeline contract
A joint venture (JV) between Punj Lloyd and
Limak has been awarded a contract to construct
a 459 km section of the 48 inch diameter TANAP
Gas Pipeline in Turkey. The 1,841 km Trans
Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) is
designed to transport natural gas produced in the
Shah Deniz 2 field and other fields in Azerbaijan
and its neighbours, through to Turkey and Europe.
McConnell Dowell seeking EOIs for Northern Gas Pipeline

Construction contractor for Australias 623 km Northern Gas Pipeline, McConnell Dowell, is
seeking expressions of interest for supplier and subcontractor opportunities that may arise for
the pipeline. McConnell Dowell has been engaged by Jemena to construct the pipeline, which
will connect the gas fields in the Northern Territory with customers in the eastern gas market,
running between Tennant Creek in the NT and Mt Isa in Queensland. The construction
scope includes the 623 km high-pressure gas pipeline, two compressor stations and mid-line
facilities. Construction is expected to commence in early 2017 and be completed by 2018.
Procurement packages associated with the construction works will begin to be listed in the
second half of 2016.
To stay updated with opportunities on the Northern Gas Pipeline, visit

www.gateway.icn.org.au/project/3767/northern-gas-pipeline-construction
March 2016 | Pipelines International | 7
NEWS IN BRIEF
New export pipeline

critical to boost
East African oil
production: analyst
Uganda and Kenya need to develop
a new export pipeline to successfully
commercialise oil reserves and boost
upstream development in the region,
says research and consulting firm
GlobalData.
Recoverable oil reserve estimates in
Uganda sit at approximately
750 MMbbl of oil, while Kenyas oil
reserves are approximately 600 MMbbl.
Provided an export pipeline is
developed, GlobalData says that
overall oil production in Uganda could
peak at about 200,000 bbl/d by 2023,
while Kenyas production could reach
approximately 85,000 bbl/d by 2027.
GlobalData Upstream Oil and
Gas Analyst Jonathan Markham says
that, while a range of possible pipeline
routes to ports in Lamu, Mombasa or
Tanga have been proposed, upstream
development in the region has stalled due
to a lack of progress in developing an
export route for these inland discoveries.
Mr Markham adds that the
development of an export pipeline would
also be a driver for upstream exploration
in the region. Some blocks have already
been licensed by governments in central
and eastern Africa, but the remote
locations have dampened interest from
major oil companies.
NEWS IN BRIEF
New safety leadership course developed for

pipeliners
A new safety leadership programme made
specifically for pipeliners has been developed,
with a focus on personal accountability for
safety and incident prevention. The new
programme has been developed by Caterpillar,
in collaboration with PipeLine Machinery
International, Inc. (PLM) and a group of
industry leading companies.
The five-module programme is designed
to foster safe work environments by helping
leaders at all levels understand and leverage
the power of culture on safety performance.
Emphasising engagement, effective
communication and positive recognition as the
building blocks of safety culture excellence, the
course reveals the impact each leader has on
employee attitudes, behaviours and beliefs.
The programme includes video produced on

actual job sites and featuring interviews with
real pipeliners, and the content is tailored to
reflect the specific challenges and risks inherent
in pipeline industry work. Proven methods
for building a culture of safety are explained
through scenarios, imagery and testimonials
drawn from the environments in which
participants work every day. The educational
content is derived from decades of Caterpillar
research and development of effective safety
management strategies.
The complete program package includes
a binder with facilitator and train-the-trainer
instructions and a USB Flash drive with videos,
presentation materials and handouts. For more
information visit PLMs website
www.plmcat.com
Ultrasonic pipeline inspection and integrity services

provider NDT Global has appointed a new Chief Operating
Officer with 24 years experience in the in-line inspection (ILI)
industry.
Andy Bain served in the British Royal Navy for 10 years
before starting his 24 year career in the ILI industry with
British Gas. He has worked in the ILI service industry from
field operations through project management and operations
management, progressing to lead new product development.
Over the last four years, Mr Bain has been an ILI
consultant on behalf of oil and gas majors, delivering
Inspection solutions for deep subsea systems. He has a global
ABOVE: Andy Bain.
perspective, having had the experience of operating in six of
the seven continents.
NDT Global has embarked on a steady growth path with significant investments in inspection
tools, data analysis and customer service teams. Mr Bain will oversee and be responsible for the
groups global business operations.
We are delighted that Andy Bain has joined the executive management team at NDT, said NDT
Global Chairman Mario Lemme. He brings a long industry track record and unique insights into
operator needs that will help us reach our goal of 100 per cent first run success.
PIN reader survey

Pipelines International recently
sent out a survey to our readers to
better understand how our magazine
and website is used within the industry.
The information and feedback we
received was really interesting, and we
wanted to share this with you.
67% of readers
have purchased products and services

after seeing their advertisement in
Pipelines International
Serimax and Technip form strategic partnership for

pipeline welding
Welding solutions provider and Vallourec
subsidiary Serimax has signed an agreement
in principle with Technip in order to achieve a
strategic partnership for pipeline welding.
Technip, a long-lasting customer of Serimax,
would acquire a minority stake in Serimax.
Technip and Serimax will combine their
expertise and will deploy the Serimax welding
technology at Technips spoolbases and S-lay
vessels. A spoolbase is primarily used for
the fabrication and spooling of rigid pipe
onto vessels with reel-lay capability. Technip
owns and operates four rigid pipe spoolbase
facilities located close to clients deepwater
developments.
Petronas awards US$150 million pipeline rehabilitation contracts

Petronas has awarded two multi-year contracts for the production
and installation of pipeline rehabilitation technology worth in excess of
US$150 million. The contracts for the rehabilitation of various 6 inch,
8 inch and 10 inch subsea crude oil gathering and high-pressure gas and
condensate lines, varying in lengths from 700 m to 3.5 km, were awarded
to APS Malaysia (APS).
The contracts will involve the use of InField Liner, a flexible Kevlar
reinforced liner installed in existing subsea pipelines. Once installed
the liner then acts as a corrosion barrier, providing protection against
aggressive service conditions and extending the use of the pipeline
beyond its original design life.
The liner system has been independently tested by a third party to
meet oil and gas industry standards API 17J (2008), 15S 2006; DVGW G
NDT Global appoints new COO
469-2010; DIN 53536 (1992) and ASTM F1545-97, D4060, D1599-99.

It can extend the lifetime of existing pipelines by up to 30 years.
InField Liner was successfully piloted at Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhds
(PCSB) Samarang field offshore Malaysia in September 2013 and a
commercial trial deployed at West Lutong field in the Baram Delta
offshore Sarawak in November 2014.
On the back of the recent successful internal application of this
technology and the subsequent large contracts awarded to APS, Petronas
has further granted APS a global 20-year exclusive licence to apply the
technology for other oil and gas operators.
Through this exclusive licensing agreement, APS will manufacture
and market worldwide the InField Liner, Petronas proprietary subsea
pipeline rehabilitation system with internal liners.
This strategic partnership, which at the time

of writing, was subject to regulatory approvals,
will include exclusive arrangements in the
Reel-lay welding pipeline segment as well
as research and development (R&D) related
programmes.
The partnership will allow both partners
to invest in joint R&D programmes and
innovative reel-lay welding solutions to meet
the growing technical challenges of projects.
Serimax will remain an independent service
and technology provider, and will continue
to serve its clients in the offshore, onshore
pipeline and fabrication markets.
New hydrostatic testing manual available for pre-order

A new manual entitled Hydrostatic testing of pipelines: Zen and the art of the squeeze is available
for pre-order from the Pipelines International shop.
This manual is a comprehensive reference tool in the field of hydrostatic testing of
pipelines, primarily those transporting liquid and gas hydrocarbons, but also the general
principles applying to water and other types of pipelines.
Author Lynndon Harnell is based in Australia, and has over 30 years of pipeline
hydrostatic testing experience. He has performed numerous hydrostatic tests as a
signatory for Australias National Association of Testing Authority (NATA) for four NATA
laboratories, and is currently a member of the ME 38.5 Standards Sub-Committee for
hydrostatic testing of pipelines.
For more information, visit www.pipelinesinternational.com/shop
94% of readers
either make or influence purchasing
decisions within their company
79% of readers
rely on Pipelines International magazine

and website for their pipeline industry
information
52% of readers
come from companies that make
US$5 million plus a year.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Stuck in the pipeline: project

delays hit industry outlook
By Matt Loffman, Douglas-Westwood, Faversham, UK
While the fall in oil prices continues to impact the pipeline industry, particularly in North America, the latest World
Onshore Pipelines Market Forecast from Douglas-Westwood states that the five-year outlook for the global pipeline
industry is positive, with onshore pipeline expenditure forecast to grow by 14 per cent between 2015 and 2019.
T
LEFT: Matt Loffman,
Douglas-Westwood,
Faversham, UK
he substantial fall in oil prices since

July 2014 has weakened the onshore
pipeline market, causing project delays
and a focus on reducing costs for pipeline
owners. Despite this, the delays observed to date
have a different complexion to other oilfield
sectors deepwater capital projects or drilling
programmes, for example and have been
limited in large part to the North America region.
In general, the onshore pipeline market itself is
well-cushioned from short-term commodity-price
fluctuations with projects typically responsive to
long-term demand and supply trends, both within
and between regions. Other geopolitical factors
tend to be of greater relative importance than for
other sectors, which has played its part in limiting
the impact of the downturn, so far.
Douglas-Westwood expects onshore pipeline
capital expenditure (CAPEX) to grow modestly,
totalling US$220 billion over 20152019, an
increase of 14 per cent compared with
US$193 billion over the preceding five-year
period. The major expenditure categories of
construction and linepipe procurement have
steady growth throughout the forecast. In
contrast, CAPEX relating to stations (pumping,
compressor, and pigging) is expected to plateau or
decline slightly year-on-year, as gas lines gain
market share over liquids, and station efficiency
gains are realised internationally.
Installation activity in most regions is expected
to increase, supported by continued product
demand growth in both new and existing
population centres, new and increasing

hydrocarbon supply, and a shift in energy demand
preferences toward gas.
DEMAND SHIFTING TO NON-OECD

REGIONS
Population growth and overall energy demand
continue to rise in non-OECD economies,
particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. This is
driving additional infrastructure requirements of
which transportation of fuel and products is an
important element.
A continuation of robust growth in non-OECD
markets saw Asia overtake North America as the
largest regional market by CAPEX in 2015,
although the volume of pipeline installations will
remain higher in North America throughout the
forecast period.
North America will suffer the greatest impact
as a result of the decline in commodity prices.
Regardless, pipe installation demand is set to
increase steadily in this region from 2016 onward.
In contrast, Western Europe CAPEX is in
decline, a trend expected to continue over the
next five years.
Pipeline activity in the Middle East is currently
growing at a faster rate than in any other region,
a trend expected to remain over the next five
years. Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in
particular have followed a strategy of increasing
production in recent months with a positive
impact in the near-term on pipe installations. The
lack of political stability and security in many
10 | Pipelines International | March 2016 www.pipelinesinternational.com
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INDUSTRY NEWS
areas is still a key threat to pipeline projects,

however. As the level of uncertainty increases,
there is potential for further project disruptions.
50
45
More productive
energy transport
starts with safer
pipelines.
With an anticipated 35 per cent increase in

global energy demand between 2010 and 2040,
natural gas is expected to significantly increase its
share of the energy mix growing by 65 per cent
over the same period. Investment in new
infrastructure to support LNG and
unconventional gas developments will be a major
factor shaping future demand for pipelines.
Outside the major oil province of the Middle
East, gas pipelines accounted for 62 per cent of
the total pipeline length installed over the past five
years, with this figure expected to increase to
66 per cent for the 20152019 period. The
reduction in the oil price since mid-2014 has
tempered the rise of gas demand to an extent,
however, reducing investment in natural gas
transport technologies. Nevertheless, this
constraining impact is anticipated to be shortterm, with industry fundamentals suggesting an
increasing proportion of gas pipeline construction
in the coming years.
While gas pipelines will increase in volume,
installation of liquid lines contracted by 15 per
cent in 2015, primarily as a result of a reduction
in US demand associated with additional
unconventional liquid production.
The specifications of the pipelines themselves
have trended toward large-diameter lines over the
past three years and this trend is expected to
continue to 2016. In 2017 and beyond, smallerdiameter pipelines are expected to gain relative
market share driven in part by maturing networks
within population centres of non-OECD
countries and a return of US onshore production
growth.
We have seen lower steel prices and greater
manufacturing capacity become available. Lower
levels of near-term activity among tubular-goods
providers have released manufacturing capacity
for linepipes.
GEOPOLITICS AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Geopolitics continues to challenge a wide range
of projects around the world. Due to the lack of
an overarching authority or jurisdiction for
transnational pipelines, geopolitical complication
Global Capex ($bn)
40
KEY TRENDS IMPACTING THE

NATURE OF PIPELINE
CONSTRUCTION
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Global Onshore Pipeline Expenditure 2010 2019

FIGURE 1: Global onshore pipeline expenditure 20102019. Source: Douglas-Westwoods World Onshore Pipelines Market
Forecast 20152019 report.
3%
Africa
Australasia
8%
22%
Latin America
22%
North America
Asia
15%
11%
16%
3%
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Eastern Europe & FSU

Middle East
Global Capex by Region 2015 2019
Western Europe
FIGURE 2: Global CAPEX by region 20152019. Source: Douglas-Westwoods World Onshore Pipelines Market Forecast 20152019 report.
is arguably the most difficult challenge to

overcome, threatening the execution of ambitious
inter-regional projects such as the Turkmenistan
Afghanistan Pakistan India (TAPI) Pipeline
aiming to bring Turkmenistan gas to Pakistan and
India via Afghanistan, and others. As a result,
commercial interest must be the overriding driver
for large transnational projects to be executed
successfully as opposed to softer geopolitical
interests.
Environmental concerns remain a vital
challenge for major pipeline projects with public
opposition causing significant delays in the
approval process. This trend is most often

observed in highly regulated regions such as
North America with the well-publicised example
of Keystone XL Pipeline in the US, which was
ultimately cancelled.
RELATIVE STABILITY, DESPITE

PROJECT DELAYS
While lower commodity prices threaten
pipeline-construction projects, particularly in the
US and Canadian markets, global expenditure
will continue to climb in 2016 as sanctioned
projects are delivered and international growth
For more information on how our patent-protected IntelliCOAT

can deliver factory-grade results in the field, please see
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INDUSTRY NEWS
outweighs the contraction in North America.
Douglas-Westwood expects almost 309,000 km of
linepipe to be installed between 2015 and 2019,
an increase of 11 per cent compared to the
previous five-year period. The consistency of
annual expenditure in the global pipeline market
(relative to other sectors of the upstream and
midstream oil and gas industry), and high volume,
will facilitate opportunities for the supply chain
around the world as the infrastructure network
continues to grow.
About the author

Matt Loffman has led a range of commercial due diligence and market intelligence studies
focusing on international drilling, pipeline services, and downstream facility sectors. His
previous experience includes a post as a consultant to the United Nations. In the past year,
Mr Loffman has headed-up global market studies relating to in-line inspection services,
cryogenic pumps, linepipe manufacturing, and heat-tracing equipment, amongst others.
Mr Loffman is a graduate of the London School of Economics, a fluent Arabic speaker,
and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and of the Society for Underwater
Technology.
Interested in reading the full report?

This fifth edition of the World Onshore Pipelines Market Forecast presents a comprehensive view of the historic market from 20102014 and the
forecast period from 20152019. A detailed database of projects, combined with an involved, bottom-up modeling and forecasting process,
result in a unique view of the market in terms of length and value.
For more information, and to purchase the report, visit www.douglas-westwood.com/report/energy/world-onshore-pipelinesmarket-forecast-2015-2019/
Established in 1990, Douglas-Westwood is a leading provider of market research and consulting services within the engineering, OEM, and
field-services sectors of the energy industry. Douglas-Westwood is an independent organisation supported by proprietary data, insight, and
knowledge, with one of the largest sector-focused teams located in its offices in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. To date Douglas-Westwood has
completed more than 1,100 projects for clients in more than 70 countries. www.douglas-westwood.com
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Instilling a leak-detection
culture: API releases RP 1175
The worlds
largest global
LNG event
By Stuart Saulters, American Petroleum Institute (API), Washington, DC, USA

The American Petroleum Institute (API) has produced new guidelines for leak detection that provide operators
with the details to develop, implement, and manage a sustainable and risk-based pipeline leak-detection
programme to minimise the size and consequences of a leak event.
A
This RP provides a holistic framework
that encompasses these best practices
and provides operators with details to
develop, implement, and manage a
sustainable and risk-based leakdetection programme to minimise the
size and consequences of leak events.
critical element of a pipeline operation is the leak-detection

system, and a great deal of focus goes into ensuring equipment and
controllers are able to identify releases or determine the difference
between an actual event and a false alarm. There are actually several
industry documents published by the API that provide best-practice guidance
on leak-detection elements, such as alarm management and computational
pipeline monitoring (CPM), but recent incidents have brought emphasis to
ensuring industry is putting the appropriate resources to mitigating leaks.
In fact, the US Department of Transportations Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (DOT PHMSA) asked API to provide
guidance to the industry on leak-detection-programme management.
API willingly engaged its members who operate pipelines to draft API
Recommended Practice (RP) 1175, Leak detection program management, with the
goal of establishing a structure for leak-detection-programme management
for hazardous-liquid pipelines. While there is industry guidance and
learnings on particular leak-detection systems, this RP provides a holistic
framework that encompasses these best practices and provides operators with
details to develop, implement, and manage a sustainable and risk-based
leak-detection programme to minimise the size and consequences of leak
events. Also, since API developed the document, it was subjected to APIs
ANSI-accredited process, meaning several stakeholders from operating
companies, the government, and the public, had to approve, which
confirmed that a beneficial RP was published.
One valuable aspect of API RP 1175 is that it not only challenges
operators to evaluate their programme, but also to ensure an appropriate
leak-detection culture is established. This culture should be defined and
enhanced by ongoing management direction and support, and it needs to
urge employees to go from thinking to knowing, meaning take necessary
steps to realise if a leak event is occurring versus just assuming. By instilling
an effective leak-detection culture within a company, the cultural discipline
of doing every task, the right way, every time, is institutionalised.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
MOBILE
PIPELINE
PADDER
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Another constructive element provided in the new document is detail on

selecting and establishing performance measures. Four leak-detection metrics
are suggested:
1. Reliability can you depend on the alarms?
2. Sensitivity how small a leak can you detect?
3. Accuracy how good are the size/location estimates?
4. Robustness will it work in a less than perfect environment?
Operators must set targets to achieve the desired level of these. If the
targets are not accomplished and gaps are identified, then changes must be
made to address them.
The goal of establishing metrics and ensuring goals are obtained is to
guarantee continual improvement, which will help the industry achieve
appropriate leak-detection performance.
The discussion on selecting the necessary leak-detection systems to obtain
an effective leak-detection programme is another positive aspect of
API RP 1175. There is great detail included, intended to help operators
evaluate and select various leak-detection principles, methods, and
techniques to include in their leak-detection programme. Also, instruction is
provided on how to select new applications and add them, or re-examine
existing systems.
This whole process in selecting leak-detection systems to achieve a
substantive programme should be a multi-step, multi-faceted, and iterative
process requiring adequate documentation of each facet or step, and
API RP 1175 provides great detail for this. There is a great amount of
information on leak detection currently available, and the guidance provided
in the new RP will help any operator, large or small, filter through it to
achieve a successful leak-detection programme.
The overall goal of any leak-detection programme should be to detect
leaks quickly and with certainty, thus facilitating quicker shutdown, and
therefore minimising negative consequences. Operators must understand
vulnerabilities and risks when developing a programme, and the new
RP 1175 provides guidance on how to use a risk-based approach to establish
an adequate leak-detection programme.
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More information about the document and how to obtain a copy

can be found at www.api.org/pubs
For further details on pipelines,
visit www.nergyinfrastructure.org and
www.pipeline101.com
API is the only national trade association representing all facets of

the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 9.8 million USA
jobs and 8 per cent of the US economy. APIs over 625 members
include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and
production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses,
and service and supply firms. They provide most of the US
energy, and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of
more than 25 million Americans.
Contra 2
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INDUSTRY NEWS
SHARING
EVERYTHING
WE KNOW WITH
OUR PIPELINE
CUSTOMERS.
ITS WHAT
WE DO.
The changing pipeline industry
JUST ASK JON.
FP Ad 7
Vermeer
(with article)
By Greg Ehm, Public Relations Director, Two Rivers Marketing, Des Moines, IA, USA
Global pipeline construction in the oil and gas industry is going strong. The reason is that when times are
tough, companies try to be more efficient. And pipelines help energy companies meet that goal.
ABOVE: Contractors need personalised support from

OEMs. Vermeer is heavily invested in the pipeline industry
to help contractors by successful.
heres a lot of confidence in the

industry again, says Jon Heinen,
Senior Pipeline Manager at
Vermeer. A lot of contracts have been awarded
already for upcoming work, and permits are
pending. Contractors are gearing up. The vibe is
positive.
In recent years, the midstream business drove
the pipeline construction market. But its slowing
down. Now, the focus is on installing transmission
pipelines, and thats where much of the activity
will be in 2016 and 2017.
These new transmission pipelines are larger in
diameter at 36, 42 and 48 inches compared with
the 20 and 24 inch pipelines of the past. This
upsizes the equipment needed for pipeline jobs
including horizontal directional drilling (HDD) rigs
with pullback forces of 2,224.1 kN (500,000 lb)
and greater.
This is only one of the trends Vermeer sees as
it meets with executives of energy and pipeline
construction companies. Vermeer a leading
manufacturer of HDD drills for the pipeline
installation market has the opportunity to meet
with pipeline contractors all over the world and

understand industry needs from a big-picture
perspective.
Vermeer pipeline experts are in constant
communication with industry colleagues around the
globe regarding pipeline trends, new applications
and installation methods, and the general state of
the industry. Having global offices on four continents
allows Vermeer to stay connected.
What other trends does Vermeer see
impacting the pipeline installation industry? The
pace of business, the use of technology, and the
importance of safety and regulations.
The pipeline industry is no longer a seasonal
business where a contractor works for only six
months a year. Today the industry moves at a
much faster pace all year round. Pipeline project
owners are also expecting more from contractors
and in turn contractors are expecting more
from their suppliers. Contractors need answers
or solutions now, not in 24 hours. Vermeer
addresses those needs by having hundreds of
touchpoints, from the factory and the dealer to
the jobsite.
AS SENIOR PIPELINE MANAGER AT VERMEER, JON HEINENS DAY IS MORE THAN SELLING EQUIPMENT.
Hes busy looking for global pipeline industry trends, new techniques and solutions to existing challenges. Then he
shares his insight, including new ideas that contractors like you can use to help make a real impact on your productivity
and profitability. As a former owner and operator, Jon understands contractors day-to-day issues and can help you face
your most complex challenges. Learn more about Jon at bit.ly/JustAskJon.
VERMEER.COM
Vermeer, the Vermeer logo, Equipped to Do More and Navigator are trademarks of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the U.S. and/or other countries.
2016 Vermeer Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
INDUSTRY NEWS
At Vermeer, we feel we need to be close to

our customers to provide assistance, and our
global dealer network can help set us apart from
other suppliers in this respect, says Mr Heinen.
Pipeline contractors are looking at technology
to help manage the maintenance needs of their
equipment fleet, and new tools to enhance the
operator experience and help make them more
productive. Contractors are also looking for ways
to provide confirmation of performance on the
jobsite that can be easily shared with a project

owner. Telematics, project planning, jobsite tools
and digital reporting are examples of the types
of technology that are already used and will
become more common in the coming years.
There is going to be a huge demand for
data, Mr Heinen says. For job performance
data, for operator-specific data, for ground
conditions data, for tooling data, for the mud
pump, everything you can imagine. With the
introduction of Vermeer Productivity Tools,

Vermeer is leading the way in bringing this
technology to the pipeline industry.
Safety is a top concern among pipeline
contractors around the globe. If a contracting
company does not have a clean jobsite safety
record, it may not get awarded the next project.
This ties to safe working practices, but also to the
design of the equipment it is using. Vermeer
follows a design philosophy based on national
and international safety standards safety is
definitely a priority for Vermeer.
In addition, government regulation can be a
significant challenge to the pipeline industry,
especially in the North American market.
Regulations can seem like such a moving target
that its hard to plan a business project
around them.
Falling under the regulations umbrella is
drilling fluid. Although drilling fluid is basically
just water and a special clay, it may be treated in
some jurisdictions as a hazardous material. This
can hit contractors hard when it comes to
management and disposal, as drilling fluid
management, in such cases, could amount to up
to half a contractors total expenses for a project.
Pipeline contractors are turning to reclaimers
and large vacuum excavators to help meet their
fluid management needs. In addition, industry
associations, equipment manufacturers and
institutions are studying the issue to bring more
science and data to regulation that can
sometimes seem more like a matter of public
relations and conjecture. Other alternatives may
include exploring alternative uses for drilling
fluid.
As complex as the pipeline business is, it is
pretty simple. Contractors want to be productive
and they want to be successful. Vermeer is
heavily invested in the pipeline industry to help
contractors be successful. Contractors need
personalised support from OEMs, and that is
what Vermeer provides.
If we as an industry and company can
provide contractors the insights, information and
the tools to be productive, which their customers
are demanding, then in turn, we aid them to be
able to be successful and to reinvest in their
business, says Mr Heinen. We are business
partners to our customers; we are not just an
equipment supplier. If they are successful, then
we can be successful.
Contra 3
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INDUSTRY NEWS
INDUSTRY NEWS
Real-time demand for a gas

pipeline design: dealing with
modern challenges Part 2
By Sidney Santos, At Work Rio Solutions Ltda, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Following-on the previous article on this subject published in the December 2015 issue of Pipelines International,
this article presents new functionalities of the GasPipelineDesign and GasPipelineExpansion mobile
applications as part of the innovative mobile technology that has been developed to support gas pipeline design
through the web.
he availability to study the compression

system and the optimum capacity rampup of a transmission system are the new
functionalities of the application, and are of key
importance in the process of designing a feasible
gas pipeline project.
capacity, GasPipelineDesign and

GasPipelineExpansion can be used together to
provide the best feasible solution for the
expansion project, be it construction of a loop
pipeline, compressor station(s), or a pipeline
interconnection.
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY
CAPACITY RAMP-UP
Following the approach presented in the

previous article, At Work Rio has implemented
new features in the GasPipelineExpansion
application, which are described here through a
case study that highlights the applications
capabilities.
The application has been designed to:
Perform cost estimates for new gas
pipeline projects or capacity expansions
of existing projects;
Allows the addition of compressor stations
to an existing project, undertake capacity
ramp-up and availability studies; and,
Work with GIS information (latitude,
longitude, and elevation profile) for the
pipeline route.
New gas pipeline projects generally do not start

operation with full capacity and it is necessary to
determine the best configuration for compressor
stations and compressor units to cope with the
capacity ramp-up through the first years of
operation, along with the schedule for installation of
compressor stations and compressor units. The
GasPipelineExpansion approach optimises CAPEX
cash flow and makes the project more competitive.
NEW PROJECT OR CAPACITY

EXPANSION
Where transmission or distribution companies
see an opportunity to increase the systems
adequate level of redundancy (stand-by units) for

gas pipelines. The simulation process can be as
follows:
1. Simulate the compression system without
any stand-by units and obtain the
availability.
2. Select target compressor stations to have
stand-by units, and re-run the simulation
to obtain an improved availability for the
system.
3. Continue testing other arrangements of
stand-by units until the availability satisfies
the projects needs.
4. Alternatively, simulate using a stand-by
unit for all the compressor stations and
compare the outcomes.
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) [1]
has surveyed many compressor stations with
different arrangements of compressor (centrifugal
or reciprocating) and driver (electric motor, gas
turbine, or gas motor) and identified reliability
and availability values in Table 1.
The simulation runs 100,000 iterations and

compiles groups of failure results with their
respective gas-transmission capacity and
frequency. The application can handle different
sizes and types of compressor units at any
compressor station, with each unit having its own
availability figures. An availability study using a
Monte Carlo simulation is of key importance for
a feasible gas pipeline project. Transmission
companies must mitigate their operational risk to

comply with their transportation agreements with
local distribution companies or end users with
regard to firm-capacity clauses and related
penalties for non-compliance. In the event of a
compressor units failure impacting the pipeline
capacity, the transmission company would face
penalties and loss of revenue, dramatically
impacting its economic result [2-5].
Compressor unit failures, their frequency and

scenarios, are identified and each scenario is
thermos-hydraulically simulated and its capacity
under failure is quantified.
AVAILABILITY STUDY
GasPipelineExpansion incorporates a powerful
and flexible module for an availability study that
performs Monte Carlo simulations. Compressor
unit failures, their frequency and scenarios, are
identified and each scenario is thermoshydraulically simulated and its capacity under
failure is quantified. The frequency of failures
versus capacity under failure will allow the
evaluation of the compressor-system availability,
and also support decisions on the provision of an
Reliability (%)
Availability (%)
Electric motor + centrifugal
99.4
98.9
Gas turbine + centrifugal
98.2
97.1
Gas motor + reciprocating
97.1
94.3
TABLE 1: The reliability and availability values of different compressor station arrangements as surveyed by the Electric
Power Research Institute.
ABOVE: The graphical result of a GasPipelineExpansion thermohydraulic simulation (left) showing a availability analysis without a stand-by compressor units, and the results of a capacity
ramp-up study (right) with one compressor station (year 1), three compressor stations (year 2), and seven compressor stations (years 3 to 30).
INDUSTRY NEWS
CASE STUDY: GASBOL PIPELINE

The case study used to illustrate this article is
based on the GASBOL pipeline project if it was
being designed now. Based on the prevailing market
condition and technical and economic assumptions
at the time it was designed around 1995 the
main section of the project has a nominal diameter
of 32 inches and 14 compressor stations. The
transmission capacity is 1,059 MMcf/d.
With the same technical requirements and
todays economic assumptions, and by using At
Work Rios innovative technology, the best
alternative for the project is as follows:
(a) Technical assumptions:
Capacity: 1,059 MMcf/d
Length: 1,068 miles (straight route)
Length: 1,118 miles (geographic route)
MAOP: 1,420 psi
Pipe material: API 5L X-80
Gas specific gravity: 0.6000
Inlet pressure: 1,410 psig
Delivery pressure: 1,000 psig
Compression ratio: 1.4000
Gas deliveries, MMcf/d:
D1, at milepost 363.4 miles: 1.7657
(b) Economic assumptions:
Pipe material cost: US$2,500/ton
Fuel gas cost: US$5/MMBTU
Pipeline operation and maintenance cost:
1.5 per cent of pipeline CAPEX per year
Compressor station operation and
maintenance cost: 5 per cent of compressor
station CAPEX per year
Project economic life: 30 years
Discount rate: 12% per year
Construction time: 4 years
Pipeline CAPEX schedule: 15% year 1,
30% year 2, 30% year 3, 25% year 4
Compressor station CAPEX schedule: 0 %
year 1, 10% year 2, 40% year 3, 50% year 4
Results for the selected gas pipeline configuration:

(a) Technical:
Nominal diameter: 36 inches
Total length: 1,118 miles
Transmission capacity: 1,100.76 MMcf/d
Number of compressor stations: 7
Number of operating units per compressor
station: 2
Number of stand-by units per compressor
station: 1
Total required power: 125,144 hp
Total installed power: 298,812 hp
Total required fuel gas per year:
9,517.08 MMcf
Compressor system availability:
without stand-by units: 0.9811
with one stand-by unit at CS# 4: 0.9836
with stand-by units at CS# 2, 4,
and 6: 0.9925
with stand-by units at all CS: 0.9997
Total fuel gas present value: 237.26

Inventory (line pack) gas present
value: 11.01
Total CAPEX: 3,176.61
Total OPEX: 724.13
Total Project PV: 3,900.73
CONCLUSION
At Work Rios innovative technology covers all
the important aspects related to the design process
for a gas pipeline, including thermos-hydraulics,
failure analysis with Monte Carlo simulation,
capacity ramp-up, cost assessment, and
economics. This state-of-the-art, innovative
mobile technology improves productivity for gas
pipeline conceptual design with simple, practical,
accurate, reliable, and speedy solutions.
(b) Economic (in MM US$):

Pipeline total cost: 3,528.48
Pipeline total cost present value: 2,630.48
Compressor station total cost: 800.55
Compressor station total cost present
value: 546.13
Pipeline operation and maintenance
present value: 270.95
Compressor station operation and
maintenance present value: 204.91
23-25 MAY 2016, BERLIN, GERMANY

500+ DELEGATES
50+ DIFFERENT NATIONS
50+ EXHIBITORS
DELEGATIONS FROM 50+ DIFFERENT

PIPELINE OPERATORS
REFERENCES
1.
Capacity ramp-up:
with one compressor station (CS# 4):
565.21 MMcf/d
with three compressor stations (CS# 2,4,6):
775.83 MMcf/d
with seven compressor stations (CS#
1,2,3,4,5,6,7): 1,100.76 MMcf/d
11TH PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
2.
3.
4.
5.
Electric Power Research Institute, 1999.

Report No. RP 4CH2983.
S.P.Santos, 2009. Monte Carlo simulation
a key for a feasible gas pipeline design.
Pipeline Simulation Interest Group,
Galveston, TX, USA.
S.P.Santos, 2008. Availability and risk
analysis effects on gas pipeline tariff
making. International Pipeline
Conference, 2008, Calgary, Canada.
S.P.Santos, M.A.S.Bittencourt, and
L.D.Vasconcellos, 2006. Compressor
station availability managing its effects
on gas pipeline operation. International
Pipeline Conference, Calgary, Canada.
S.P.Santos and E.Saliby, 2003.
Compression service contracts when is it
worth it? Pipeline Simulation Interest
Group, Bern, Switzerland.
Contra 4
PTC
About the developer

These mobile technology applications have been developed by the author Sidney Santos,
who retired from Petrobras in 2012 after working for more than 25 years as a Senior
Consultant and a gas-pipeline design engineer. Using his knowledge of pipeline design
technology, as well as programming using spreadsheets Visual Basic and C#, Mr Santos
has recently worked with qualified software developers to perfect his applications. His
most recent projects at Petrobras, prior to retiring, were the design of the Bolivia Brazil
Gas Pipeline (GASBOL), and the expansion project for the gas pipeline network in Brazil.
He had a role in many prospective projects such as the Venezuela Brazil Gas Pipeline
(GASVEN) and the Integration Gas Pipeline (GASIN); he also provided consulting
assistance to KazTransGas and Intergas Central Asia for the Kazakhstan section of the
Trans Asia Gas Pipeline.
Europes biggest onshore & offshore pipeline conference & exhibition:

www.pipeline-conference.com
in parallel to PIPE AND SEWER CONFERENCE and exhibition
INDUSTRY NEWS
INDUSTRY NEWS
A: Tesmec service providers will come to site for any special
tools required for the machines.
B: Tesmec provides training for machine operators and
mechanics.
C: A Tesmec trencher being delivered to site.
Prepare your inventory:

how to limit downtime on your
construction site
Trenching machines are now considered as standard equipment for pipeline construction sites, capable of
digging trenches in almost all operative conditions. Manufacturer Tesmec outlines how construction companies
can make the most of its equipment, and ensure no downtime while on site.
ver time, trenching machines have

evolved due to the requirements of
the industry. Equipment manufacturer
Tesmec states that, by using a trencher on
pipeline construction sites, it is possible to achieve
higher digging speeds than when using other
pipeline installation methods.
A Tesmec spokesperson says The trencher is a
mature machine. We can say that the machines
have reached very high levels of reliability. But
projects and construction teams are now asking
for the machines to do even more. Construction
teams are now requesting machines to dig in very
hard conditions, including through rock, and
abrasive conditions. And, because market
competition is increasing, construction companies
are requesting high-performances and low-cost
solutions.
Low cost means no stop.
Because of this, when considering how a
trencher might perform on a pipeline project,
construction companies need to look not only at
the machine, but also at the manufacturers
services that are provided to guarantee the
machines performance until the end of
the project.
Tesmec provides the following services when its
trenchers are used:
Training for operators and mechanics;
Presence on the jobsite of any special
tools required for the machine;
Use of advanced systems for digging
control and machine diagnostics; and,
The supply of strategic parts or materials
to ensure no downtime on site.
THE STRATEGIC SUPPLY OF PARTS

Tesmec provides corrective supply and
preventive supply services for its machines.
The corrective supply service is provided when
a machine needs parts that are not available on
site. Tesmec explains, Generally in this case the
machine is forced to stay idle for several days, and
a lot of stress is generated by those on site.
The preventive supply service is activated
before there is a need for any extra parts,
reducing any downtime for the machine or
workforce.
The idea of corrective and preventive supply
doesnt mean that we recommend starting a
project with a stock of extra parts. Instead, we are
encouraging our clients to plan their supplies, and
regularly monitor their use, and make requests for
further parts in advance. A good project manager
can put a value of 0 as a KPI for corrective
supply, Tesmec continues.
HOW TO MANAGE A WELLORGANISED SPARE PARTS

INVENTORY
Tesmec recommends that job-site warehouses
are well organised with anti-rollover shelves and
dividers for different supplies that can be easily
and safely moved.
Tesmec uses an interactive spare parts system
called Inter-Parts as its official channel for
fulfilling spare parts orders for its clients.
Inter-Parts is an online system, also available in a
downloadable offline version, which allows clients
easily to identify the spare parts that are needed,
and to send supply requests directly from the
jobsite. It is a user-friendly tool that simplifies

jobsite management, helps to avoid mistakes, and
provides useful inventory information for the
construction team and the equipment provider.
PREVENTIVE SUPPLY USED IN THE

ATACAMA DESERT
A consortium between Bechtel and Techint
used Techints preventive supply system while
constructing the Escondida Water Supply (EWS)
project in Chile.
The consortium used four TRS1675 machines
to construct two parallel 183 km pipelines in the
Atacama Desert.
The logistic department installed at the
construction camp in Antofagasta was designed
for the needs of the machines, and a good
maintenance service provided the correct
information for the supply of new parts in an
appropriate time frame for the project
requirements.
The implementation of the preventive supply
system enabled the consortium to complete
construction of the pipelines within schedule,
says Tesmec.
ALL MACHINES HAVE NEEDS

Tesmec explains Our machinery is very
reliable, but all machines have needs, and not
preparing appropriate supplies of key parts can
compromise the outcome of a project.
It is very important that construction
companies consider what spare parts may be
needed before starting a project. We deal with
forwarders and local customs daily, and we
understand the difficulties that projects can face
around timing. Like Mum continuously repeating
Dont walk where Ive just cleaned, we repeat
Dont forget the additional parts: they will take
time to arrive!.
Interview with Saudi Aramcos

Mohammed Sultan Al-Qahtani
Saudi Aramco Pipelines Department General Manager Mohammed Sultan Al-Qahtani spoke with Pipelines
International Editor-in-Chief John Tiratsoo about future projects and pipeline management plans, and how he
came to lead the Saudi Aramco Pipelines Department.
How long have you been working in the
pipeline industry, and what did you do
prior to joining the pipeline industry in
Saudi Aramco?
I started my career with Saudi Aramco 30
years ago. I started as an operator in the field.
That exposure provided me invaluable insight
into the practicality of operating our pipelines
and site realities within a vast country like Saudi
Arabia. Upon completion of a mechanical
engineering degree in the US, I gained hands-on
work experience as an engineer, further
enhancing my understanding about pipeline
design; replacement; maintenance and inspection;
robustness; reliability, etc. This multidisciplinary
approach further developed my abilities to work
across the organisation, and built my
interpersonal and management skills. As a leader,
I soon realised that our main asset is our people.

To lead, you have to inspire people through
fairness, and provide training and development.
To maintain morale, I insist that the key enabling
values progress and recognition are recognised
at every opportunity, to make a positive difference
within our organisation.
What has been the best or most

challenging/rewarding pipeline
project that you have been involved
with?
Although I have been involved in several
capital projects during my career with Saudi
Aramco, I consider the Hawiyah Gas Plant
downstream pipelines project as the most
challenging. It definitely broadened my
knowledge of business case development.
What is your favourite aspect of

working in the pipeline industry?
As a leader, I soon realised that our main

asset is our people. To lead, you have to inspire
people through fairness, and provide training
and development.
RIGHT: Saudi Aramco Pipelines Department General

Manager Mohammed Sultan Al-Qahtani.
OPPOSITE: Construction of Saudi Aramcos
217 km Shaybah Abqaiq Oil Pipeline, which was
completed in 2010, and is an integral piece of infrastructure
in Saudi Arabia.
The extent of the varied engineering and

operational challenges that are offered on a
day-to-day basis, when combined with the need to
be strategic in vision, while following best
practices in everything that we do. We are
transitioning from a time-based approach of
pipeline operations management, toward a
risk-based approached, following our Enterprise
Risk Management policy. These fundamental
changes require a change in mindset to achieve a
successful outcome without undermining existing
practices. The ability, to lead and inspire positive
changes, to provide value in everything that we do
individually and collectively motivates me as a
leader.
How have Saudi Aramcos pipeline

operations changed over the last 10
years?
Our pipeline network has expanded, and the
only sustainable way to manage pipeline technical
integrity for a network of this size is to follow
scientific methods, and implement the latest

technology, deployed and operated by highly
trained engineers.
What is the next area of growth for

Saudi Aramcos Pipelines Department?
The next area of growth is maintaining the
integrity of our entire pipeline systems by using a
risk-based approach and deploying the latest
technologies, once they are proven, to support the
requirements.
What innovations have the Pipelines

Department made, to aid pipeline
operations and integrity management?
To date, the Pipelines Department has been
successful in obtaining five granted patents by the
US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for
pipeline-related innovative solutions. We are also
working with industry experts on several
innovations one example is a joint development
with a valve maker for a new large-capacity
control valve, intended for erosive service
applications.
Where does Saudi Aramco see major

gains in safety can be made, in terms of
pipeline operation?
Our pipeline operation and expansion work is
underpinned by our corporate culture, which
stipulates that safety always comes first. We
perceive safety as a reliability and efficiency
enabler, and we never consider it as a barrier to
success. In my opinion, fostering a corporate
culture and positive employee behaviour toward
safety is the most influential gain for any
responsible pipeline operator.
What techniques does Saudi Aramco

use to maintain its pipeline system, and
why is it important to complete such
maintenance?
To maintain our pipelines integrity, we have
been transitioning from a reactive case-by-case
approach to a more holistic, proactive, and
knowledge-based approach. Our maintenance
and integrity management practices are centred
on the concept of Total Quality Management
(TQM).
Held under the Patronage of His Excellency Dr. Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza,
Minister of Energy, Kingdom of Bahrain
11-14 APRIL 2016

GULF CONVENTION CENTRE
MANAMA, BAHRAIN
PLATINUM ELITE SPONSOR
We have developed an integrity planning

process for our existing pipelines that is
comprehensive and risk based. It goes beyond
simply responding to in-line inspection reported
defects, to aligning our data collection and
processing, to better understand the predominant
threats identified for our pipelines, and how we
can mitigate these threats through root-cause
analysis.
As an organisation, we steer our efforts toward
continuous improvement. We monitor
developments in many knowledge areas in the
industry, and conduct benchmarking studies and
engage in collaboration with international
pipeline operators. We embrace the
responsibilities and trust placed in us by the
company.
A new 115 km oil pipeline is set to be

constructed from Saudi Aramcos
Abqaiq plant to Bahrain. What are the
benefits of this project to the region?
This project speaks for the strategic partnership
that ties the Kingdom of Saudi Aramco and the
Kingdom of Bahrain as Gulf Co-operation
Council (GCC) members and close neighbours.
The new pipeline will enhance the overall crude
supply reliability from Abqaiq to Bahrain for
many years to come, and satisfy the new refinery
upgrade requirements for the Kingdom of
Bahrain. This will contribute to the prosperity
and wellbeing of our region as a whole.
What other transmission pipeline

projects does Saudi Aramco have
planned over the next 24 months?
ABOVE: Construction of Saudi Aramcos 217 km Shaybah

Abqaiq Oil Pipeline.
Saudi Aramco continues to expand the

transmission pipelines network to satisfy the
demand for hydrocarbons across the Kingdom,
and there are two grassroots projects that will
expand the sales-gas pipeline network. The
utilisation of our enormous gas reserves provides
a strategic foundation for further economic
growth and diversification within the Kingdom.
to support our strategic technology objectives.

The Pipelines Department, just like other Saudi
Aramco organisations, strives to engage more in
research activities and exploit all available
resources, to excel in this side of the business.
What advice could you give to

contractors who would like to secure
work in the Gulf region?
Safety and project execution efficiency are the
two key attributes that contribute to our
business-performance strategy. I would advise
contractors to staff projects with a competent
workforce to ensure compliance with the safety
regulations and guidelines set by Saudi Aramco
and the local authorities.
Can you outline Saudi Aramcos

continuing and future plans for research
into the transmission pipeline industry?
As part of its Accelerated Transformation
Program, Saudi Aramco has rolled out a plan to
increase research activities. In addition to our
in-house network, we have a wide range of
collaborative relationships with leading Saudi and
international research universities and institutions,
SILVER SPONSORS
GSP FP 1
Do you have any advice for those just

beginning their careers in the pipeline
industry?
The pipeline industry is a professionally
exciting and rewarding industry. Pipelines
encompass a variety of multidisciplinary roles and
can provide a sustainable career. For young
engineers who would like to pursue careers in the
pipeline industry, I would strongly encourage
them to get exposure in the field, in the areas of
operations and maintenance, to broaden their
basic understanding of system and core functions.
This knowledge transfer is very effective when
young engineers work with operators and
maintenance foremen. Subsequently, young
engineers need to have their mentors create
developmental plans in the areas of simulation,
corrosion, valves, reliability, and, more
importantly, integrity management, with a
risk-based approach. Finally, I would like say that
hard and focused work during the first five years is
critical for young engineers to become specialists
and subject-matter experts.
CONFERENCE
Technical streams presented by industry leaders covering a wide range

of subjects will run over the two and a half day event.
Some of the subjects to be discussed;
Track A - Corrosion
Track C Design
Track D ILI
Track E Operations
Track F Management
Track G Cracks and SCC
Track H Integrity
Track I Offshore
Track J Materials
Track K Coatings
Track L Leak Detection
Track M Maintenance
EXHIBITION
A comprehensive exhibition will be part of the event,

allowing companies from around the world to showcase
their products and services. Visit our website to book
your space.
NETWORKING
Throughout the event there will be ample opportunities

to network with participants to further your business
relationships. Meet with industry leaders from around
the world.
Register now at: www.pipelineconf.com
How to enhance your

companys presence
in the Middle East
Industry analysts have predicted that the fastest growth for the onshore pipeline industry between 2015 and
2019 is expected to occur in the Middle East. So it is important that companies active in the industry consider
how to make the most of the opportunities in the region.
n effective way for companies to quickly

learn about and network with key
contacts in the Middle East is to attend
regional industry events. Pipelines International
looks at three key ways in which industry events
can help you to establish your presence and
relationships in the region.
1. ATTEND TARGETED,
ESTABLISHED AND REPUTABLE
INDUSTRY EVENTS
There are a number of oil and gas events held
in the region, but few focus solely on pipelines.
The Pipeline Operations and Management
Middle East Conference and Exhibition
(POMME) is being held in Bahrain from
11 14 April 2016, and is structured in such a
way to provide attendees with the most relevant
regional pipeline industry knowledge necessary to
do business in the Middle East.
The third in a series of international technical
events for the pipeline industry, the three-and-ahalf day POMME Conference and Exhibition is
the Gulf regions definitive essential congress on
pipeline technology and management. The event
has drawn more than 1,100 industry professionals
from 33 countries.
The event is organised by Tiratsoo Technical (a
division of Great Southern Press) and Clarion
Technical Conferences, in association with Global
Webb Energy Consultants. Between them the
event organisers have over 35 years experience
organising international, include 20 years of
organising events in the Gulf region.
The POMME event is supported by Platinum
Elite sponsor Saudi Aramco, and held under the
patronage of His Excellency Dr Abdul Hussain
bin Ali Mirza, Bahrains Minister of Energy.
2. BRUSH UP ON YOUR
KNOWLEDGE OF REGIONAL
ISSUES, PROJECTS AND LATEST
DEVELOPMENTS
In business, knowledge is power, and one of the
most efficient ways to get up-to-date with the
latest industry issues, projects and developments is
to attend a carefully structured conference
programme.
The multi-track POMME conference
programme features 75 papers from 17 countries,
bringing together experts from within and outside
the region to discuss the latest technologies and
concepts for maintaining and operating oil and
gas pipelines in the most efficient, cost-effective,
and professional manner, while taking account of
environmental and other concerns of the
communities through which they pass. Turn to
page 36 for more information.
The programme has been collated and peer
reviewed by a Technical Committee of
30 industry experts from leading pipeline
companies such as Saudi Aramco, Bapco,
Petroleum Development Oman, and Petronas,
and organisations including King Fahd,
University of Petroleum and Minerals Saudi
Arabia, Penspen, EPRG, PRCI, and DNV.
Saudi Aramco Pipelines Departments General
Manager Mohammad Sultan Al-Qahtani says the
event provides a great opportunity for pipeliners
to gather and share knowledge. There are many
challenges we ought to overcome and it will help
a great deal if we can solve them collaboratively.
Six topical workshops will be held on 11 April
2016, for those that are interested in more
detailed information than available on the
conference programme. Workshops are being
held on black powder, microbiological corrosion,
offshore pipelines, in-line inspection,

direct assessment, and pipeline integrity
management plans.
To view the full conference programme

and abstracts, the topical workshops,
or the Technical Committee, visit
www.pipelineconf.com
3. MAKE USE OF ANY

OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK AND
FORM BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS
Exhibitions are a quick and easy way to learn
about the latest industry technology and
developments, and meet key contacts that can
provide the products and services necessary for
you to fulfil your business orders.
At POMME, an associated technical exhibition
will be conveniently situated close to where the
technical papers are presented. The exhibition
will feature the leading providers of solutions for
best practices in pipeline operations and
management, including companies such as Silver
Sponsors ROSEN Group, Clock Spring, Bapco,
and Al-Qaryan Group.
All exhibitors will showcase the latest in
pipeline technology, equipment and services, and
the event schedule allows delegates appropriate
time to network with some of the industrys most
recognisable brands.
For a full list of exhibitors, visit

Conference Programme
Tuesday 12 April
8:45
VIPs arrive
9:00
Opening plenary session
10:00
Exhibition opening ceremony
10:30
Coffee
Resigter now
Registration is open for the Pipeline Operations and Management Conference and Exhibition.
To register online, or view the full conference programme including abstracts, visit www.pipelineconf.com
Tuesday 12 April
Track A: Corrosion topics
Track C: Design topics
Track D: ILI topics
Track E: Operations topics
11:00
[A01] Defect matching of successive IP runs in corroding steel

pipelines, by Paul Herwig, r+k Consulting Engineers, Netherlands
[C01] Best practice of piping daylighting flyover design,

by Mosaed Al-Ghamdi, Terminal Operations Dept, Saudi Aramco,
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
[D01] ILI for pipeline integrity: case histories, by Dr Abdelmounam Sherik

(1), Thibault Villette (1), MohsenAl-Nasser (2), and Joe Short (3)
1 Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia; 2 Rosen Group, Saudi Arabia;
3 MACAW Engineering, UK
[E01] Hydrotesting and ILI: now and the future, by Jerry Rau, RCP Inc.,
USA and Dr Mike Kirkwood, T.D. Williamson Inc., Abu Dhabi, UAE
11:30
[A02] Internal-corrosion monitoring program,

by Rami M Moaikel, Alaa Khairy, and Abdulrahman S Qahtani,
Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
[C02] Joint trench for pipelines and fibre-optic cables design optimisation,
by Abdullah Al-Nufaii, Khalid Al-Usail, and Dr Husain Al-Muslim, Saudi
Aramco, Saudi Arabia
[D02) EVO Series 1.0: the latest generation of UT crack and corrosion tools
for high-speed pipeline inspection, by Dr Thomas Hennig, NDT Global
GmbH & Co, Ireland, and Girish Lokwani, NDT Global FZE, UAE
[E02] A smart approach for operational pigging, by Steve Mayo, Pipelines 2

Data, UK
12:00
[A03] Power water injection pipelines assessment and corrosion

control, by Bander Abdulaziz Otaibi, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
[C03] Calculation of tsunami force acting on surface gas pipeline facilities

and countermeasures, by Toshiya Tanaka, Toshiro Mayumi, and Yoshimi
Ono, JFE Engineering, Japan
[D03] Verification of ILI inspection results with the use of auto-UT data, by
Nishant Sasi Philip, Derek Balmer, Steven Farnie, Ian Murray, and Holly
Plummer, PII Pipeline Solutions, UK and Qatar
[E03] Cybersecurity framework for industrial control systems: plan,

implement, and respond, by Khalid Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco,
Saudi Arabia
12:30
Lunch
[C04] Standards for pipeline pigs, urethane, and cleaning, by Doug Batzel,
Batzel Consulting Inc, USA, and Beate Altmann, Consultant, Norway
[D04] Guided wave examination of pipelines, by Raymond Carswell, Saudi

Aramco, Saudi Arabia
[E04] Analysis of failure of pull-back operation of a 28 inch OD, 538 m,

pipe string from a 42 inch tunnel made by HDD technology, by Nitu
Maurya, IOCL, India
13:30
14:00
[A05] Caustic corrosion cracking of MP hot water system

challenges at Hawiyah NGL plant, by Mohammed Al-Hashem,
[C05] Pipeline trenchless laying technologies: Saudi Aramco case study, by

Abdulaziz A. Ajaji and Abdulaziz N. Ababtain, Saudi Aramco, Saudi
Arabia
[D05] Achieving critical assessments of pipelines through accurate and

reliable inspection information, by Tony Andraos, Andrew Caley, Martin
Bluck, Jane Dawson, and Jeff Sutherland, PII Pipeline Solutions, Qatar
[E05] Pipeline operations: innovative approaches to preserve pipelines

during low demand, by Ali S Ibrahim, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
14:30
[A06] Challenges in installation of cathodic protection systems for

existing above ground crude oil storage tanks - experience sharing
of Indian Oil pipelines, by Jitendra Sinha and Anand Terawi,
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd Pipelines Division, India
[C06] Pipeline risk assessment methodology and practice for upstream

pipelines, by Mohammed Al- Hamaqi, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
[D06] Inspection of loading lines and flow lines equipped with three-way
valves, by Frank J Mueller and Mohammed Jaarah, Rosen Group, UAE
[E06] Communicating precise locations is key for the efficient management

of pipelines operations, by Chris Sheldrick, What3Words, UK
15:00
Coffee
15:45
[C07] Existing buried pipeline crossings using geogrids, by Diego

DAlberto, Agostino Napolitano, Salvatore Morgante, and Gilberto Latini,
Saipem SpA, Italy
[D07] Inspection of CRA clad pipelines: challenges and solutions, Johannes

Keuter and Mohammed Jaarah, Rosen Group, Germany
[E07] An offshore pipeline gas leak investigation and repair, by Mahmood

Al-Ridy, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
16:15
[C08] Strain-based design of buried horizontal cold-formed bends under

high-temperature loading, by Matthew Laing, Dr Andy Young, and
Timothy Turner, Penspen,UK
[D08] Large stand-off magnetometry for pipeline integrity assessments: an

industry-independent evaluation, by John OBrien, Chevron Corporation,
USA
[E08] Fibre-optic sensing: comprehensive pipeline-integrity monitoring, by

Marco Rettig, OptaSense, UK
16:45
End of day
Wednesday 13 April
Wednesday 13 April
9:00
Track H: Integrity topics
Track F: Management topics

[F01] Mechanical completion punchlisting challenges: practical
project management solutions, by Michael McGraw,
[C09] Armenias export gas transmission pipeline, by Maaryam

Karkehabadi, Hamoon Gostar Sanat, Tehran, Iran
[H01] Pipeline integrity management system, by Rajesh Uprety, Oil Industry

Safety Directorate, India
9:30
[F02] Pipeline management system, by Badr Al-Hussain,

[C10] A case study on achieving efficiencies in the pipeline services

industry in a low-cost market environment, by Chris Cloyde, Global
Continuous Improvement HT&P Operations, T.D. Williamson, Inc., USA
[H02] Asset integrity management and life extension of gas transmission

pipeline network and off-take stations, by Dr Abe Nezamian, WorleyParsons
Advisian, and Peter Cox, WorleyParsons, Australia
10:00
Coffee

10:45
Track G: Cracks and SCC
Track C: Design topics continued
Track H: Integrity topics continued Track I: Offshore topics
[G01] Corrosion and cracking in steels: advanced inspection

applications for pipelines, by Mark Rosa, Saudi Aramco,
Saudi Arabia
[C11] The susceptibility of vertical imperfections to upheaval buckling in

high-temperature pipeline design, by David Simpson, Timothy Turner,
and Dr Andy Young, Penspen, UK
[H03] PIMSyS - pipeline integrity management from space, by Jan Ridder,

Orbital Eye BV, Netherlands
[I01] Transportation fatigue assessment of double- jointed pipe, by

Abdulkarim Rinawi (1), Richard Keith (1), Walter Cimbali (2), Luigi Vitali
(2), Christian DAngelo (2), Ala Sharif (1), Khaleel Hussain (1), and Husain
Muslim (1)
1 Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia; 2 Saipem, Italy
11:15
[G02] Piping crack failure investigation and repair procedure at

crude unit product line, Ras Tanura Refinery, by Ameer Al-Zawad,
[C12] Opportunities and challenges for optimisation of internal company

pipeline standards: a case study for design factor for liquid pipelines, by Dr
Husain Al-Muslim, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
[H04] Advantages of smart pig XYZ mapping on pipeline assessments, by

Tod Barker, T.D. Williamson, Inc., USA
[I02] Integrity evaluation of a 70-year-old veteran subsea pipeline, by

Mushaid Nauman, Dr Roger King, and Ali Alani, Penspen Integrity, UAE,
and Naim Dakwar, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
11:45
[G03] Prediction models and condition monitoring technologies to

manage hydrogen-induced cracking growth, by Dr Abderrazak
Traidia and Dr Abdelmounam Sherik, Saudi Aramco,
Saudi Arabia
[C13] PIM software a risk-based planning approach, by Lene

Synnestvedt, DNV GL, Oslo, Norway, and Dr Mustafa Dameh, DNV GL,
Abu Dhabi,UAE
[H05] S-S curve controlled high-strain line pipes are effective to ensure
pipeline integrity in harsh environments, by Dr Nobuhisa Suzuki and
Takekazu Arekawa, JFE Steel Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, and Andrei
Arabey, Gazprom, Moscow, Russia
[I03] External corrosion management of offshore pipelines new IRM

strategies and case histories, by Jim Britton, Deepwater Corrosion Services,
Inc., USA
12:15
Lunch
13:30
[G04] Susceptibility of stress-corrosion cracking in liquid and gas

pipelines: Saudi Aramco study using a statistical approach, by
Abdulaziz N. Ababtain, Nauman Tehsin, Dr Hussain Al-Muslim,
and Nader A. Al-Otaibi, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia, and Dr
Tom Bubenik, DNV GL-Oil & Gas, USA
[C14] Method and tool used to predict the service life of a pipeline,
by Dr Pawel Raczynski and Marceli Lewandowski, CDRiA Pipeline
Services Ltd, Warsaw, Poland
14:00
[G05] Probabilistic assessment of EMAT and UTCD ILI

effectiveness for managing stress-corrosion cracking on buried
pipelines, by Nauman Tehsin, Abdulaziz Al-Saif, Nader A.
Al-Otaibi, and Abdulaziz N. Ababtain, Saudi Aramco, Saudi
Arabia, and Dr Tom Bubenik, DNV GL Oil & Gas, USA
[C15] Practical root cause analysis,

by Taimore Afzal, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
14:30
[G06] Stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) integrity management plan

for onshore liquid and gas pipelines: Saudi Aramco comprehensive
study, by Nauman Tehsin, Nader A. Al-Otaibi, and Abdulaziz N.
Ababtain, Saudi Aramco, and Dr Tom Bubenik, DNV GL-Oil &
Gas, USA
15:00
Coffee
[I04] Risk-based strategy for the development of an emergency pipeline

repair system, by Ali Alani, Penspen, UAE
Track J: Materials topics
15:45
[J01] Material cost savings from pipeline wall thickness optimisation design
case, by Ahmad Saif, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
[I05] Mechanical systems for offshore pipeline repair in Saudi Aramco: a

case study, by Riyadh Alshiban and Shadid Al-Nutaifat, Saudi Aramco,
Saudi Arabia
[J02] Study of temperature effect on toughness changes across thickness of

the line pipe steel by CVN and DWT tests, by Syed Jainulaudeen, Dr Hamid
Bayati, and Yousuf Al-Ghandeer, SABIC Technology Centre, Saudi Arabia
[I06] Acoustic determination of remote subsea valve status, by David

Russell, Karl Dawson, Lucy Lingard, Pipeline Engineering, UK, and Barry
Lennox and Kassandra Papadopoulou, University of Manchester, UK
Track K: Coatings
Track M: Maintenance topics
[K01] The weathering effect on pipeline coating performance in

the Gulf area, by Nayf Rasheedi, Sultan Mutairi, Anas Rushaid,
Turki Khaldi, and Abdullatif Abdulhadi, Saudi Aramco, Saudi
Arabia
[J03] The significance of material model on upheaval buckling analyses, by

David Simpson, Andy Young, and Timothy Turner, Penspen,UK
[M01] Enhancing pipeline safety through proper preventative maintenance

of valves, by Mohanned Tarabzouni, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
16:15
[K02] A one-layer, non-shielding coating system: simple and fast to

apply, by Nathan Muncaster, Polyguard Products, Ennis, TX, USA
[J04] Advanced NDT techniques utilised on pipelines, by Raymond

Carswell, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
[M02] Case study: premature failures of new trap isolation valves, by

Mohanned Tarabzouni, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
16:45
End of day
Thursday 14 April
Thursday 14 April
Track L: Leak topics
9:00
[K03] Polyethylene pipeline coating: failure and rehabilitation,

Dr Mahmoud A. Dweib, Naim M. Dakwar, Yahya T. Janabi,
Ahmad H. Malki, and Abduljalil. H. Al-Rasheed, Saudi Aramco,
Saudi Arabia
[L01] Automated airborne oil leak detection for pipelines, by Eric

Bergeron, FlyScan Systems Inc./ National Optics Institute, Canada
[J05] Composite solutions: 2016 and beyond, by Donald Chapman and

Stuart Mckay, IMG Composites, UK
[M03] Maintenance pig design optimisation for cleaning a multiphase flow

line, by Doug Batzel (1), Heider Suarez (2), and Sergey Makarov (2) 1 Batzel
Engineering, Inc., USA 2 Exxon Neftegas Ltd, Russia
9:30
[K04] Reliable pipe protection in thrust boring and in challenging

Sabkha environments: high-performance polyurea coatings, by
C. Wolken, H. Rosenbleck-Schmidt, M. Magerstdt, M. Jaarah, K.
Ross, and R. Altmeppen, Rosen Group, Switzerland, and Naim
Dakwar and Mana Mansour, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
[L02] Wireless plug-in framework for legacy sensor systems in oil and gas
pipelines, by Ahmed Al-Maghaslah, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
[J06] Considerations for repairing live piping using engineered composite

repair systems, by Murali Kurup, Neptune Research Inc., UAE
[M04] A novel approach to the rehabilitation of subsea hydrocarbon

pipelines using high-performance Solef PVDF flexible Kevlar-reinforced
liners, by Jim Dymock, Anticorrosion Protective Systems LLC, UAE, and Dr
Roger King, International Corrosion Services Ltd, UK
10:00
[K05] FBE-coated pipe storage and handling: a review of risks,

standards, and integrity, by Oscar Salazar, Saudi Aramco, Saudi
Arabia
[L03] The new revolution in leak detection, by Timothy G. Brown,

Heath Consultants Incorporated, USA
[J07] A plastic plate to protect buried pipelines from third-party interference,

by Yannick Joubeaux and Alain Turion, Overpipe, France
[M05] The future monitoring and condition-based maintenance, by Saleh

Elkadiki, Saudi Arabian Development Co Ltd, Saudi Arabia
10:30
Coffee
11:00
Closing plenary session
12:00
Lunch
14:00
Depart
Interview with McConnell

Dowells Mark Barrows
Construction company McConnell Dowell has established offices in the Middle East to better service the
region. Pipelines International caught up with Dutco McConnell Dowell Managing Director Mark Barrows to
discuss the companys plans for the region, previous experience, and future projects.
Do not over commit to work, and do

not over staff your operation with
expatriates make use of local skills
and expertise. Look at strategic local
partners to assist your transition into
the region.
Please describe your current role and the McConnell Dowell

presence in the Middle East
In my role of Managing Director for Dutco McConnell Dowell I oversee all
aspects of the business. Our Middle East operation, based out of our regional
office in Dubai, is fully staffed with QHSE, engineering, estimating, finance
and admin/HR. We also have access to specialist support from McConnell
Dowell that we can call on as required. In Dubai we have a large fabrication
facility for pipe spooling and structural steel fabrication, as well as specialist
CNC machining and welding capabilities, for example for duplex and stainless
steel. To support the business we have satellite offices established in Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and the Oman. Our main focus in the region is
pipelines, tunnelling, and mechanical fabrication and installation.
ABOVE: Speaking with the McConnell Dowell team on the APLNG Project.
RIGHT: An aerial view of the APLNG Project gas hub.
How long have you been working in the pipeline industry,

and in what regions have you worked?
I have worked in the pipeline industry since graduating as a Civil Engineer
in New Zealand in 1982. Over the past 33 years I have worked on pipeline
projects in New Zealand, Australia, PNG, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar,
the United Kingdom and now the Middle East.
At which company did you commence your career in the

industry, and at what others have you worked at? How has
this influenced the way that you view the industry today?
I initially commenced work in New Zealand with a company called Perry
Dines and I have also worked for A.Hak in the UK in the early 1990s. The
majority of my career has been spent with McConnell Dowell which has
allowed me both to develop professionally and also be involved with
many major and challenging pipeline projects around the world.
What are the main challenges of working in the

Middle East, and how does McConnell Dowell
overcome these?
You need to be competitive and you need to deliver
on your commitments with relationships with your
clients being paramount.
What has been the most challenging/rewarding pipeline

project that you have been involved with in the region? And
overall?
Within the Middle East I was involved in an advisory role for the major
Baku Tbilisi Ceyhan (BTC) Pipeline and South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP)
projects constructed by our Middle East team for BP in Azerbaijan. My
overall favourite project was the Australia Pacific LNG Pipeline completed in
2014 this was a world scale pipeline project successfully delivered in an
integrated team environment.
Does McConnell Dowell have companies that it partners with

in the Middle East to fulfil projects? If so, how has this
relationship/s developed?
McConnell Dowell in the Middle East is a joint-venture company with
Dutco established in 1977. Dutco is a large and diverse Dubai-based
company with a number of construction and other business interests. We also
have an established partnership with CCC having delivered a number of
major projects in joint venture with CCC over the past 15 years in the
Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. Our approach to partnering
is made on a project-by-project basis and is subject to a number of factors.
DONT MISS
AN ISSUE!
You need to be competitive and you

need to deliver on your commitments
with relationships with your clients
being paramount.
Where do you see the main growth areas in the pipeline

industry in the Middle East over the next five years?
HPV 2
E-Z Line
Pipe
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In the near term we see ongoing opportunities in the gas, water, power and
transportation sectors to support a growing regional population, as well as
ongoing work in the oil sector to maintain or improve production.
What initiatives does McConnell Dowell provide for the skills

and training of its workforce in the Middle East?
The Middle East operation benefits from the global McConnell Dowell
management systems, including training, with policies and documents being
translated into a number of languages.
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GSP Ad 2
What three pieces of advice could you give to companies

who would like to secure work in the Gulf region?
Tread carefully and be prepared to learn as with any new market there are
challenges. Do not over commit to work, and do not over staff your
operation with expatriates make use of local skills and expertise. Look at
strategic local partners to assist your transition into the region.
What future challenges or trends do you see for the pipeline

industry?
Cover story:
Saudi Aramco General Manager Pipelines
Page 30
Douglas-Westwood:
pipeline industry
forecast to 2019
The history of the

Page 10
Page 46
In the short term the influence of a low oil price on projects. In the longer
term retaining the skills and can do attitude of pipeliners.
Have you seen our maps and wallcharts?
Why is knowledge sharing and industry training so important

for the continued success of the global pipeline industry?
The industry is going through generational change so we need to ensure
the new managers, engineers and superintendents are prepared to take over
and benefit from the lessons of the past.
MAJOR PIPELINE SYSTEMS OF THE USA
A detailed overview of select existing major pipeline systems in Canada.

KEY
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Compiled and published by Great Southern Press Pty Ltd.

Tel: +61 3 9248 5100
YUKON TERRITORY
SASKATCHEWAN
ALBERTA
Product information and graphic design Great Southern Press, 2016.

Source map courtesy Map Resources.
WASHINGTON
QUEBEC
26*
Portland
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Helena
MAINE
MONTANA
NORTH DAKOTA
IDAHO
MINNESOTA
Bismarck
VERMONT
35
OREGON
NOTE: This is a schematic representation and shows approximate

routes of major US pipelines. It does not show exact pipeline routes.
Route, length, and capacity information is approximate and intended
as a guide only, and is correct as at May 2015.
Pierre
6
Milwaukee
NEBRASKA
23
Des Moines
Carson City
UTAH
NEVADA
16
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
12
Frankfort
Jefferson City
KENTUCKY
San Diego
22
Phoenix
Richmond
Embrace the opportunities and be prepared to travel which brings

learning and cultural rewards.
KEY
855 km
Enbridge Mainline *
Enbridge Inc.
Crude oil
2,306 km
3036 inches
Enbridge Westspur Pipeline
Enbridge Inc.
Crude oil
175 km
12 inches
10
Enbridge Southern Lights (Line 13) *
Enbridge Inc.
Crude oil
1,241 km
20 inches
11
Express-Platte Pipeline System *
Spectra Energy
Crude oil
434 km
24 inch
12
Foothills Pipeline System
TransCanada Pipelines
Natural gas
1,241 km
3642 inches
13
Keystone Pipeline *
Crude oil
1,227 km
3036 inches
14
Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline
Spectra Energy (77.53%); Emera (12.92%); ExxonMobil Corporation (9.55%)
Natural gas
575 km
30 inch
15
Nova Gas Transmission Pipeline System (NGTL)
Natural gas
24,373 km
1642 inches
16
OntarioQuebec Pipeline
TransNorthern Pipeline Inc.
Rened fuel products
850 km
17
PTC Pipeline
Spectra Energy
Natural gas liquids
930 km
18
Trans Mountain Pipeline System
Kinder Morgan
Crude oil and rened products
1,142 km
19
TransQuebec and Maritimes Pipeline Mainline
TransCanada Pipelines (50%), Gaz Metro (50%)
Natural gas
572 km
20
Westcoast Pipeline System (B.C Pipeline)
Spectra Energy
21
Dawn to Parkway Trunkline
Union Gas
125 miles
125 km
250 miles
250 km
Winnipeg
LENGTH
(miles)
Product information and graphic design Great Southern Press, 2016. Source map courtesy Map Resources.
KEY
CAPACITY
LENGTH
(miles)
Kinder Morgan
Gas
6,182 MMcf/d
10,200
15
Southern Star Central Pipeline
Southern Star
Gas
2,801 MMcf/d
5,803
29
Columbia Gas Transmission
NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage
Spectra Energy Partners
Gas
3,347 MMcf/d
1,129
16
Dominion Pipeline
Dominion Resources
Gas
6,655 MMcf/d
3,505
30
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation System
National Fuel
PRODUCT
CAPACITY
NAME
OWNER
CAPACITY
LENGTH
(miles)
Gas
9,350 MMcf/d
10,365
Gas
2,312 MMcf/d
2,300
2,639
850,000 bbl/d
500
PRODUCT
Texas Eastern Transmission
Gas
7,332 MMcf/d
9,022
17
Colorado Interstate Gas Pipeline
Kinder Morgan
Gas
4,099 MMcf/d
4,300
31
Keystone Pipeline*
TransCanada
Crude oil
Tennessee Gas Pipeline
Kinder Morgan
Gas
6,686 MMcf/d
13,900
18
Alliance Pipeline System*
Alliance Pipeline
Gas
2,053 MMcf/d
2,311
32
Seaway Pipeline
Enterprise Products Partners; Enbridge
Crude oil
Panhandle Eastern Pipeline
Panhandle Energy
Gas
2,840 MMcf/d
6,445
19
Columbia Gulf Transmission
Columbia Pipeline Group
Gas
2,386 MMcf/d
4,124
33
Gulf Coast Project
TransCanada
Crude oil
Northern Natural Gas Pipeline
Northern Natural Gas
Gas
7,442 MMcf/d
14,700
20
Northern Border Pipeline*
TC PipeLines; ONEOK Partners
Gas
2,400 MMcf/d
1,408
34
Longhorn Pipeline
Magellan Midstream Partners
Crude oil
ANR Pipeline
ANR Pipeline Company
Gas
7,129 MMcf/d
10,600
21
Great Lakes Gas Transmission Pipeline*
Great Lakes Gas Transmission Company
Gas
Transcontinental Gas Pipeline
Williams
Gas
8,466 MMcf/d
10,500
22
Transwestern Interstate Pipeline
Energy Transfer
Gas
700,000 bbl/d
-
35
Double H Pipeline
Hiland Partners
Crude oil
36
Pony Express Pipeline
Tallgrass Energy
Crude oil
Gulf South Pipeline Company
Gas
6,260 MMcf/d
6,886
23
Questar Pipeline
Questar Pipeline
Gas
3,192 MMcf/d
1,858
37
Olympic Pipeline
BP
Crude oil
Kinder Morgan
Gas
4,848 MMcf/d
9,200
24
Wyoming Interstate Pipeline
Kinder Morgan
Gas
2,736 MMcf/d
800
38
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company
Crude oil
Crude oil
2,600,000 bbl/d
1,900
Crude oil
800,000 bbl/d
1,000
Florida Gas Transmission Pipeline
Florida Gas Transmission Company
Gas
2,217 MMcf/d
4,889
25
Centerpoint Energy Gas Transmission
CenterPoint Energy
Gas
5,385 MMcf/d
6,374
39
US Mainline (Lakehead System)*
Enbridge
Kern River Gas Transmission Pipeline
Kern River Gas Transmission Company
Gas
1,833 MMcf/d
1,680
26
Northwest Pipeline*
Williams
Gas
4,950 MMcf/d
3,880
40
Alberta Clipper*
Enbridge
Trunkline Pipeline
Panhandle Energy
Gas
3,025 MMcf/d
4,202
27
Southern Natural Gas Company System
Kinder Morgan
Gas
3,967 MMcf/d
7,635
Texas Gas Transmission
Boardwalk Pipelines
Gas
4,065 MMcf/d
5,671
28
Gas Transmission Northwest*
TransCanada
Gas
2,636 MMcf/d
1,356
2,900 km
257 km
Kingston
84,000 bbl/d
230,000 bbl/d
315,000 bbl/d
London
22
www.mapresources.com.au
For additional copies of this poster and for advertising enquiries, email query@pipelinesinternational.com
With the support of:
485
690
400
800
pipelinesinternational.com/subscribe
Trois-Rivieres
Drummondville
16
Toronto
Hamilton
Charlottetown
Moncton
18
Saint John
Quebec
NOVA
SCOTIA
Halifax
Montreal
Ottawa
Brampton
485
2,115
2,560
Gulf South Pipeline

Natural Gas Pipeline Co of America
11
12
13
Thunder Bay
700
2,958 MMcf/d
2,439 MMcf/d
9
10
14
20
1
14
Fredericton
Information used to collate this map was directly provided by companies, the National Energy Board (NEB) and the
Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA).
500 miles
500 km
El Paso Natural Gas Pipeline System
OWNER
Natural gas
Natural gas
2436 inches
2442 inches
* Pipeline continues into United States of America.
NEW BRUNSWICK
Brandon
Information on this map is intended as a general source of information only. Compiled and published by Great Southern
Press Pty Ltd. Tel: +61 3 9248 5100
KEY
NEWFOUNDLAND
&
LABRADOR
17
The Major Pipeline Systems of Canada map provides an overview of existing major pipeline systems in Canada that are
over 100 km in length. The map includes the name, owner, product, approximate length and diameter of the pipeline.
FLORIDA
NUEVO
LEN
TAMAULIPAS
NAME
Crude oil
PRINCE
EDWARD
ISLAND
Regina
13
Algonquin Gas Transmission
PRODUCT
Enbridge Inc.
Iqaluit
ONTARIO
Saskatoon
Moose Jaw
11
OWNER
Calgary
Jacksonville
NAME
Vancouver
Houston
SINALOA
DURANGO
Enbridge Pipelines (NW) Inc. System
QUEBEC
12
500 km
BAJA
CALIFORNIA
SUR
Pipelines marked with *

indicate a pipeline route
that begins in Canada.
12 inches
10
11
Austin
500 miles
995 km
175 km
Edmonton
Red Deer
Lethbridge
COAHUILA
30 inch
36 inch
Propane and ethane-propane

Natural gas
32
San Antonio
CHIHUAHUA
Do you have any advice from those just beginning their

careers in the pipeline industry?
Natural gas
Natural gas
Victoria
GEORGIA
ALABAMA
Jackson
Tallahassee
34
SONORA
Kamloops
LOUISIANA
TEXAS
CANADA
143 km
14,114 km
Kinder Morgan
Encana Corporation
St. John's
19
Raleigh
27
Montgomery
36 inches
3642 inches
Emera Brunswick Pipeline Company

15
VIRGINIA
Charlotte
Atlanta
MISSISSIPPI
33
Dallas
El Paso
ALASKA
21
DIAMETER
1,069 km
1,560 km
Cochin Pipeline System

Deep Panuke Pipeline
MARYLAND
Columbia
10
BAJA
CALIFORNIA
38
LENGTH
Crude oil
Natural gas
Brunswick Pipeline
Canadian Mainline
MANITOBA
SOUTH CAROLINA
Memphis
25 Little Rock
PRODUCT
Enbridge Inc.
Enbridge Inc. (50%); Versan (50%)
5
6
SASKATCHEWAN
8
TENNESSEE
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City
OWNER
Alberta Clipper (Line 67) *

Alliance Pipeline *
3
4
Trenton
Philadelphia
Annapolis
NORTH CAROLINA
Nashville
ARKANSAS
NEW MEXICO
NAME
1
2
29
14
MISSOURI
15
Santa Fe
ALBERTA
Richmond
WEST
VIRGINIA
ARIZONA
Los Angeles
New York
NEW JERSEY
Charleston
19
CALIFORNIA
BRITISH COLUMBIA
DELAWARE
Washington D.C.
13
Topeka
RHODE ISLAND
Baltimore
OHIO
KANSAS
Harrisburg
30
Columbus
Indianapolis
Springfield
COLORADO
San Jose
Detroit
PENNSYLVANIA
31*
Denver
CONNECTICUT
IOWA
Lincoln
Sacramento
San Francisco
MASSACHUSETTS
Hartford
Lansing
Chicago
36
Boston
39*
MICHIGAN
Madison
Cheyenne
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Albany
17
Salt Lake City
Augusta
Concord
NEW YORK
21*
WISCONSIN
WYOMING
Yellowknife
Montpelier
Saint Paul
SOUTH DAKOTA
Boise
24
People and challenges over my career I have met so many great people
who thrive on meeting the many and varied challenges that pipeline projects
bring especially in remote areas bring.
Whitehorse
40*
20*
Salem
NUNAVUT
NEW
BRUNSWICK
18*
37
For additional copies of this poster and for advertising enquiries,

email query@pipelinesinternational.com
ONTARIO
MANITOBA
28*
Seattle
Olympia
This map is intended as a general source of information only.
What is your favourite aspect of working in the pipeline

industry?
MAJOR PIPELINE SYSTEMS OF CANADA
A detailed overview of select existing major pipeline systems in the USA.
150 miles
150 km
300 km
300 miles
Qatar pipeline isolation:

fast-track delivery meets demand
STATS Group were recently retained by a major oil producer in Qatar to provide fast-track delivery of a
high-pressure isolation tool to facilitate the safe and reliable isolation of a 24 inch pressurised gas pipeline.
ith a verified double block and bleed

isolation in place, valve replacement
and maintenance work was then
successfully carried out on a 16 inch production
tee connected to the pipeline.
In line with the clients standard maintenance
and safety procedures, a verified double blockand-bleed isolation is compulsory prior to valve
replacement on a live system. Conventional
repairs of this type would typically require the
entire pipeline to be completely hydrocarbon free
and nitrogen purged to enable a safe intervention.
This approach adds extensive operational and
procedural requirements which have significant
time, environmental and cost implications, says
STATS Group Business Development Manager
Middle East, Vikas Shangari.
After a detailed site survey and piggability
assessment, STATS proposed the use of a Remote
Tecno Plug. In order to verify functionality for
the offshore operations, all equipment was subject
to a Factory Acceptance Testing programme at
STATS Group headquarters in Kintore,
Aberdeenshire, Scotland, prior to delivery to
Qatar. This fast-track project was engineered,
risk assessed, assembled and mobilised within a
two-week window, says Mr Shangari.
Once onsite, the Remote Tecno Plug was

pigged with nitrogen from the launcher through
two valves, passed the production tee and through
three 90 degree bends to the set location.
Mr Shangari says Once at location and
hydraulically set, the Tecno Plug provides fail-safe
and fully tested double block isolation against
pipeline pressure and contents, ensuring a safe
and reliable barrier prior to breaking
containment.
During pigging operations the Remote Tecno
Plug was tracked and accurately positioned using
through-wall communication. An extremely
low-frequency (ELF) radio control system sets and
monitors the plug throughout the isolation. The
remote control system provides a high degree of
flexibility and eliminates the need for tethers or
modified pig-trap doors.
Independent testing of each seal with full
pipeline pressure confirmed leak-tight isolation
and the pipeline was bled down to ambient from
the platform launcher to the rear of the Tecno
Plug. The annulus between the Tecno Plug seals
was vented to ambient to create a zero-energy
zone.
After a 12-hour isolation stability hold period,
an Isolation Certificate was issued and the Tecno
Plug was confirmed as providing double block

isolation, allowing the valve maintenance to
commence. The Remote Tecno Plug remained in
place to isolate the pipeline for three days while
the valve was replaced.
With maintenance work successfully completed,
the Tecno Plug was used as a test boundary to
perform a reinstatement pressure test. This was
achieved by raising the pipeline pressure from the
launcher side while the Tecno Plug remained in a
fully set condition. The reverse pressure test
operation created a test boundary to confirm the
newly installed valve. Finally the plug was unset
and reverse-pigged back to the launcher for
demobilisation, says Mr Shangari.
The successful delivery of the project
demonstrates STATS ability to provide safety
critical isolation services that enable urgent
maintenance activity to be completed, within
schedule and with minimal production outage.
This fast-track project was

engineered, risk assessed, assembled
and mobilised within a two-week
window.
STATS Group Business Development Manager
Middle East, Vikas Shangari.
A: The 16 inch valve to be changed out.

B: STATS field technicians with the Remote Tecno Plug following successful valve change-out.
C: The 24 inch Remote Tecno Plug recovered from the launcher.
QPH 1
Power Associates
Designing the first HDD rigs

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) rigs are widely used on transmission pipeline projects efficiently and
economically to complete river and road crossings, and traverse environmentally sensitive areas with the lowest
impact. But how did the technology develop? Pipelines International speaks to representatives from Vermeer,
American Augers and Ditch Witch to learn more about how each company developed its first HDD rig.
VERMEER
Jim Rankin, Application Engineer
Jim Rankin is one of the most well-known
individuals in the HDD industry. His career
within Vermeer spans an impressive 38 years, and
one of Jims many accolades includes being
instrumental in the development of Vermeers
directional drills, including the companys first
commercially marketed drilling equipment.
Mr Rankin says In the very beginning,
I remember being pulled into my managers office
and asked if I knew or had ever heard of a term
or technology called directional drilling, which
I hadnt.
He said, Well, I dont know a lot about it
either, but I want you to book a ticket to
Charlotte, North Carolina, meet up with the local
Vermeer Dealer, and watch a unit in operation
thats been manufactured by a company thats just
starting to make a move into this industry.
PROTECTING HOSPITAL POWER

Mr Rankin recounts that the trip was right
after hurricane Hugo had hit the Charlotte area
and the storm had taken down several overhead
powerlines at a nearby hospital. The directional
drilling project involved moving powerlines

underground to reduce any future loss of power
to the facility. This required the installation of a
42 m power conduit underneath the hospitals
emergency entrance bay.
As one would imagine, shutting down the
driveway to break up the concrete, dig a trench,
bury the conduit, compact the soil back, and
replace the concrete wasnt a viable option; the
time for the concrete to set before reopening the
drive would be days, and emergency vehicles
would have to be rerouted to another hospital
entrance point, or even another hospital, adding
more time to a possible life-and-death situation.
At that time, said Mr Rankin, It took the better
part of two days to do this 42 m bore. Compared to
todays standards, we would have been sacked and
sent back to running a shovel. But the flow of traffic
to the emergency entrance wasnt interfered with.
Back then we didnt have the luxuries there
are today like a seat, rod loaders, cabins, and
self-propelled machines. Drill racks were
manually manoeuvred into place, every drill stem
was manually carried to the rack, and you cant
forget laying down the earthing matts and driving
the stakes down with a sledge hammer!
There are a lot of operators out there now

that dont realise the work that was involved in the
whole operation back then.
UNCERTAIN BEGINNINGS
Mr Rankin says he came back from that project
not totally convinced of the technology, and
wondering if he wanted to take the lead on a
project to commercialise the technology.
At the time, Vermeer had very modest plans for
the success of the new technology.
Well into the project, I remember asking my
manager how many units he thought Vermeer
would sell per year so we could leverage price
breaks, says Mr Rankin.
He said if we built and sold 10 complete units
a year he would be thrilled and amazed. He
believed Vermeer was a company building
trenchers nobody was going to shut down their
trencher and follow.
In present day, the original factory floor at
Pella, Iowa, where these first units were
developed, has seen two big changes during Mr
Rankins tenure. One is the early prediction of 10
units per year being quickly surpassed, resulting
in an urgent need for more floor space to
manufacture drills. The second is Vermeer

implementing and practicing lean
manufacturing in order to be able to produce the
ever-increasing volume
of drills.
Reflecting on that initial predication of 10
units, Mr Rankin said Wow! Kind of hit that
ball out of the ball park!
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Improving and innovating with equipment, for
Vermeer, is core to the companys philosophy.
If Henry Ford would have viewed his first car
as this is it, we wouldnt be riding around in the
luxurious vehicles we enjoy today! says Mr
Rankin.
Gary Vermeer, the founder of Vermeer said
find a better way and build the best. I truly
believe when I pull the boots on every day that
there is a better way things can be done. That
doesnt mean Ill find that way, but if you put your
mind to it you can improve on everything.
You always hope and want to believe that
history and experience helps an engineer make
new advances. Part of the challenge is being able
to transfer that history and experience in going
forward, says Mr Rankin.
Vermeer is a company that keeps innovating,
and one area that is becoming a focus for the
drilling industry is environmentally conscious
technology. The company has been making
innovative developments with its fluid reclaimers,
an area in which Mr Rankin has been heavily
involved in recent years.
This is an area that has big opportunities at
many different levels and for many different

reasons. The biggest reason, like directional
drilling itself, is that it is green technology and
that is important to me.
DITCH WITCH
Dr Kelvin Self, Research &
Development Project Manager
The road to developing Ditch Witchs first
HDD rig began with the companys first
commercial service-line trencher, which was
created in 1949 by trenchless industry pioneer
and Ditch Witch founder Ed Malzahn. While the
trencher represented a major advancement for
the installation of small pipe and cable in urban
environments, it still faced one major jobsite
challenge: like all open-cut excavations, the
technology required major construction work to
cross obstacles.
Dr Self says There were many situations
where the open-cut method was too difficult, too
expensive, or too disruptive to be a sufficient
solution for all underground applications. Case in
point: prior to HDD technology, a simple road
crossing often resulted in road closure, tearing up
the concrete to excavate, and then fully rebuilding
the road taking several days to complete.
For even a small river crossing, the flow would
be diverted by building a cofferdam and
excavating in the muck and mud; repeating the
same process for the next area of the river, taking
many days or sometimes weeks to cross.
Because of this inconvenience, the industry
moved to innovate, with many working on different
A: While they were considerable breakthroughs at the time,

the first Navigator-series HDD rigs were a far cry from the
rigs of today. Image supplied by Vermeer.
B: Sales team training for the new (at the time) Vermeer
Navigator rig. Image supplied by Vermeer.
C: Technical drawings from the 1990 patent application for
a slant-face HDD rig. Image supplied by Ditch Witch.
types of technologies to help solve the problem.

As with most technical innovations, various
types of separate technologies needed piecing
together to develop an effective solution. Early
contractors including Martin Cherrington and
later Flow Mole, among others created
functional machines to combat these challenges;
however, the machines generally lacked key
elements of modern HDD rigs, which stunted
their effectiveness.
Many at Ditch Witch were also conducting
research to find effective trenchless solutions to
HDD challenges. Dr Gerald Stangl and Roger
Layne, who have now both retired, were key
personalities to this early research and
development.
Around the mid-to-late 1980s, Dr Stangl and
Dr Layne learned of another contractor-inventor
who possibly held another piece of the HDD
technology puzzle. The two men travelled to meet
with Richard Dunn, a gentleman who had
invented a small boring machine with a crucial
piece of technology.
After watching the machine run, the Ditch
Witch organisation eventually purchased the
intellectual property for what is now known as the
slant-faced method of boring, Dr Self says.
A NEW SLANT ON HDD

Slant-face technology was first used to install
small-scale pipes and cables using a fluid-assisted
boring unit. The technology breakthrough was
patented by Mr Dunn and recognised as US
patent 4953638 in 1988. The technology was a
breakthrough for the industry; a significant
improvement on the techniques that preceded it.
However, there was still one major problem with
the slant-faced boring machine: it wasnt
trackable.
Ditch Witch married the slant-face technology
with the locating sonde technology that was
already being used in other Ditch Witch
trenchless products, says Dr Self.
This was the birth of the first Jet Trac, a
utility class HDD rig manufactured in Perry,
Oklahoma, at the Ditch Witch facility. The unit
was sold worldwide through Ditch Witch
dealerships from 1990 onwards. Though crude by
todays standards, in many ways the newly
designed drill unit functioned similarly to HDD
boring systems that are still being used today.
WHERE TO FROM HERE?

The first HDD units were designed to install
pipe and cable in areas where trenching was
difficult or impossible. In good soil conditions, the
first HDD units were capable of installing small
pipe and cable up to a few hundred metres.
The early HDD units were difficult to use
successfully and very labour intensive, says Dr

Self. They often failed to complete the bore the
first time. So when first introduced, many thought
the machines would only be a small niche in the
industry.
However, over the years HDD units have grown
in size and capabilities. Today they are commonly
used to quickly and efficiently install underground
product ranging from a small cable TV across a
backyard to a 36 inch pipeline over a kilometre in
length or more. Modern-day units are commonly
used to bore through all kinds of soil, from soft
topsoil to extremely hard rock and cobble.
Overall, it took nearly four decades after Mr
Malzahns invention of the service-line trencher
before the creation of an efficient trenchless
boring machine with all the key elements of a
modern HDD unit.
TRACKING COMPANY GROWTH

Ditch Witch has a long history as a global
company; even though the manufacturing plant
has always been based in Oklahoma, the
dealership network was spread across the globe
long before the advent of HDD.
Ditch Witch has seen significant growth and
changes since the introduction of HDD in the
late 1980s. The manufacturing site has grown
substantially, allowing for the production of HDD
rigs, followed by drill pipe, downhole tools, fluid
systems, and vacuum excavation systems.
In addition to this, since 1991, Ditch Witch has

put significant energy into developing electronics
to support HDD tracking applications and
downhole tooling to support Ditch Witch
products. This business is now known as Subsite
Electronics, a stand-alone company supporting
underground construction with a suite of
electronics products. Ditch Witch has also
continued to expand its training facility and
courses, with many thousands of HDD operators
and service personnel trained at the site since the
first Jet Trac.
AMERICAN AUGERS
Richard Levings, Director of
Product Development
American Augers first commercially marketed
drilling equipment was developed in 1998 for
several large customers, some of which are the
worlds largest HDD contractors today, says Mr
Levings.
The machine in question was a trailermounted, rack-and-pinion drive drilling unit that
had approximately 176 tonnes of pullback power.
The rig was developed for the installation of oil
and gas pipelines under rivers and interstate
highways in the United States. One of the first
projects on which the unit was used was the
installation of a 36 inch gas pipeline under the
Mississippi River in Louisiana.
D: The first Navigator HDD rigs lacked seats, rod loads, cabins, and self-propulsion. Additionally, prior to operation, earthing
matts had to be laid down. Image supplied by Vermeer.
E: The slant-face HDD rig at work. Image supplied by Ditch Witch.
F: American Directional Drillings HDD rig in 1993. Image supplied by American Augers.
After successful applications in the oil and gas

industry, American Augers drilling units were
quickly adopted for the placement of fibre optic
cables. Once the technology was proven on a
variety of installation types, the rate of
applications grew rapidly.
Frank Vestfall, Biyue Li, and Jim Firmin were
all key to the development of American Augers
first drilling rigs. They each worked directly with
prospective customers to develop the early
specifications and new design concepts to meet
the needs of individual projects, says
Mr Levings.
OHIO MANUFACTURING GOES

GLOBAL
American Augers first rigs were manufactured
near Wooster, Ohio. They were often built to
meet individual project specifications before being
sold directly to contractors. It wasnt long before
American Augers became a worldwide
manufacturer of maxi-HDD systems and set up
processes to service its units across the globe.
Today American Augers has evolved into a
world-class provider of pipeline construction
equipment. The company still has a

manufacturing site located just outside of West
Salem, Ohio, and utilises the latest manufacturing
equipment and techniques to produce
maxi-HDD rigs.
As a global company, American Augers has
been able to observe differences in project
specifications and requirements across the world.
Mr Levings says Some of the major
differences weve seen include package size,
configuration and price differences; and,
variations in environmental regulations and
standards, and health and safety requirements.
These country-to-country differences present
many challenges to the American Augers product
line, and require the company to be consistently
flexible with its manufacturing processes.
THE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGIN

Since it was initially developed, American
Augers has seen significant advancements in
HDD techniques and technology. This includes
improvements in hydraulics and electronics,
which have helped to improve performance, as
well as the addition of operator interfaces,
wrenching devices, rotary systems, and trackmounted carriers to HDD rigs. Despite these
changes, the form of units is still very similar to
the original designs.
These days, the company manufacturers a
range of different HDD rigs. The development of
these rigs can vary from a few months to more
than a year.
The speed of the development process is
mostly driven by the needs of the end user and
the process of translating those needs into useful
design solutions.
American Augers continues to innovate and
push HDD technology forward. With new
environmental pressures being placed on end
users across the world, the company is being
driven to work very closely with the trenchless
industry to meet ever-changing equipment
requirements and project outcomes.
As a company, American Augers will continue
to seek unique solutions to meet these challenges
head on, says Mr Levings.
This article first appeared in Pipelines

Internationals sister publication Trenchless
International. For more information on
trenchless news and projects, or the
Trenchless International magazine, visit
www.trenchlessinternational.com
PIGGING
PIGGING
Reliability engineering:
a target-driven approach to integrity
management
DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRITY
TARGETS
By John Munro, Enbridge Pipelines Inc., Edmonton, AB, Canada

In the past several years, Enbridge has gathered an extensive amount of data from in-line inspections (ILI),
investigative excavations, pipe replacements, and hydrostatic tests. This collation of evidence, and the analytics
that have followed, have resulted in a data-driven model using principles of reliability engineering to advance
pipeline safety.
his methodology allows pipeline

conditions to be objectively assessed
in terms of the level of remaining
uncertainty by using probability statistics which
are benchmarked against historical incident data.
The effectiveness of additional measures such
as hydrostatic testing can be quantified, allowing
operators to determine actions within an overall
integrity-management programme decision
framework in order to meet required thresholds
of safety.
THE NEED FOR OBJECTIVE

MEASUREMENT
API 1173, a recommended practice released in
2014 which outlines Pipeline Safety Management
System Requirements, follows in the footsteps of
numerous other industries which have embraced
the use of safety-management systems (SMS).
Developed through contributions from operators,
regulators, academia, and public stakeholders, it
emphasises the need for companies to have
objective measures of performance.
In an era where both regulators and the public
are demanding clear and tangible proof of
pipeline safety, it is imperative that operators
establish consistent, data-driven methods for
demonstrating system reliability. Incident metrics
are not statistically effective as a measure of safety
due to their low frequency. What is needed is a
quantitative, leading metric approach that will
enable the development of industry-wide
thresholds representing a consensus response to
the question of how safe is safe enough?.
For a range of other industries and regulatory
bodies worldwide, the concept of establishing an
acceptable level of safety is not new. For decades,
industries such as aerospace and nuclear-power

generation have embraced data-driven analysis
and reliability engineering to establish safety
targets numerical measures employed by both
regulators and operators that clearly define the
levels of safety required.
USE OF RELIABILITY ENGINEERING

PRINCIPLES IN INTEGRITY
MANAGEMENT
Traditionally, the pipeline industry has taken a
deterministic approach to safety. This method
defines exact values for input parameters based
on empirical data, and is suited to wellunderstood variables in predictable systems.
However, when those parameters contain
uncertainty, as is the case with many aspects of
pipeline-integrity management, this approach is
not necessarily satisfactory.
A probabilistic approach, on the other hand,
incorporates uncertainty by considering statistical
distributions of input variables. For example,
Figure 1 illustrates the differences in
representation of pipe strength using

deterministic and probabilistic approaches.
Whereas a deterministic approach uses a safety
factor to ensure there is sufficient buffer between
defined values for pipe strength and the strength
required for operation, probabilistic analysis
defines the variability of each, and assesses their
interaction. Any overlap between the two
distributions represents a potential threat to safety,
and the extent of overlap is quantified as a
number the probability of failure (PoF). This is
illustrated in Figure 2.
The generation of probabilistic models
considers a wide range of inputs such as pipe
properties, diagnostic accuracy, modelling
accuracy, and operating conditions. However,
robust outputs are dependent on a statistically
relevant quantity of input data, and without an
integrity-management model founded in
data-driven processes, the approach is not
feasible. The use of technology such as ILI,
coupled with extensive field validation, greatly
aids the effective implementation of this method.
FIGURE 2: Safety factor (SF) vs probability of failure (PoF).
FIGURE 3: Improving PoF.
The PoF represents a statistical way to express

the chance of a lagging event. By using this
approach, every element that contributes to
overall uncertainty can be examined individually.
This enables better understanding of systems, and
allows focused improvements to operational
processes in order to improve reliability.
Figure 3 illustrates examples of how PoF can
be altered using:
1. Data/technology focused methods (for
example, reducing distribution spreads), or
2. Traditional methods (for example, moving
distributions away from each other).
A significant aspect of developing a reliabilitybased integrity-management model is the
definition of an acceptable level of safety in
numerical terms. Numerous industries refer to the
term as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP)
to reflect the goal of achieving the lowest possible
PoF that is realistically obtainable. To help
determine an appropriate order of magnitude,
Enbridge retroactively applied probabilistic
modelling to data from historical incidents. It was
found that each line had a PoF of 10-2 or worse
prior to failure. By calibrating against previous
data, a minimum safety target of 10-5 was set, and
the PoF of Enbridges entire system has now been
improved to this level or safer.
Figure 4 provides context of Enbridge-derived
PoFs relative to other industries. It also highlights
the improvement in reliability since 2010, when
Enbridge had retroactively calculated PoFs in the
range of 10-1. By todays 10-5 minimum standard,
the condition of every pipeline that has failed
historically would have been deemed
unacceptable and required intervention prior to
failure.
The significant reduction in PoF since 2010 is
largely due to the fact that, in the past, outliers
and inaccuracies were not sufficiently considered
and accumulated, whereas the full practicable
range of variability is now factored into PoF
modelling. Today, the majority of Enbridges lines
have been improved to have PoFs beyond the 10-9
range (Figure 5).
DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING

API 1173 highlights the Plan-Do-Check-Act
methodology as a valuable model for SMS
definition. Enbridges Core Process framework
for pipeline-integrity management follows this
cycle, as outlined in Figure 6. By implementing
reliability targets within this framework,
FIGURE 1: Representing pipe strength deterministic vs probabilistic methods.
FIGURE 4: PoFs of numerous industries.
PIGGING
PIGGING
There is yet to be
consensus agreement
within industry on what
constitutes an acceptable
level of safety. It is
imperative that operators
share learnings in a
collaborative manner to
further integrity science
and develop consensus
approaches.
FIGURE 5: Current system PoFs.
FIGURE 6: Enbridge PI Core Process.
a systematic approach to decision making can be

established.
Although ILI serves as the primary data source,
the framework provides a Check phase
regarding ILI reliability. If ILI is deemed
insufficiently reliable, additional mitigation is
implemented (the Act phase). With the
uncertainty of a given line established in
numerical terms, the effectiveness of additional
mitigants such as hydrostatic testing can be
quantified, and the potential benefits better
understood.
The entire Core Process involves the collection
of vast amounts of data, which are constantly
assessed to validate the methods being employed.
For example, ILI reliability assessment is largely
based on comparisons with field measurements,

obtained using non-destructive examination
(NDE). Although NDE is a globally accepted
practice, there may still be inaccuracies present,
and this can impact the ILI reliability assessment.
As such, it is critical to have a robust NDE
quality management programme in place to
ensure accuracy and understanding of
overall uncertainty.
THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

FOR INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT
The use of a reliability-centered, data-driven
approach encapsulates all elements of PHMSAs
new Hazardous Liquid Integrity Verification Plan
(HL IVP). In the plan, PHMSA outlines
numerous options for establishing maximum

operating pressure:
1.
Pipe replacement
2.
De-rate pipeline
3.
Engineering critical assessment (ECA)
4.
Hydrostatic testing
5.
Alternative technology.
Some within the industry have questioned the
adequacy of ECAs as a form of safety assurance.
However, ECAs can be made extremely robust if
backed by a comprehensive integrity-management
programme. They align with the safety case
methodology of other industries that operate
under performance-based regulatory regimes,
which require evidence-based arguments to justify
that systems are acceptably safe. This is a
contrasting approach to the traditional
assumption that adhering to a prescribed process
will generate the required level of safety. There is
no single mitigative tool that presents a total
solution to pipeline integrity.
Enbridges integrity programmes are based on
a foundation of ILI technology, with reliability
assessments being carried out on an ongoing basis
as part of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle.
Additional mitigants are employed as necessary,
with pipe replacement, pressure restrictions, and
hydrostatic testing all considered as options where
appropriate. This is beyond the scope of
regulatory requirements, but it is Enbridges
position that such a comprehensive approach is
crucial to maintaining pipeline safety.
scrutiny. In parallel, however, is an unprecedented

potential for operators to maintain the safety of
their systems, given modern advancements in
technology and analytics.
The tools are available to raise the bar on
pipeline-integrity management. The first article in
this series demonstrated the highly successful
results being achieved by modern ILI tools.
However, reliance on ILI alone is not sufficient to
ensure safety. Validation of ILI data through
statistically relevant quantities of field results is
necessary for effective threat management. The
second article in this series provided a case study
of how insufficient analysis of available ILI data
can lead to failures. It highlighted, however, that
ILI works when implemented as part of a
comprehensive programme.
Effective integrity management is not just
about having multiple barriers of defence. The
effectiveness of those barriers also needs to be
assessed in an objective, quantitative fashion. This
article closes the series by demonstrating how
reliability engineering principles can be utilised to
consider the many different elements at play, and
ensure that the safety barriers in place are

adequately robust.
Using these measures to establish reliability
targets allows clear assurance of pipeline safety.
However, there is yet to be consensus agreement
within industry on what constitutes an acceptable
level of safety. It is imperative that operators share
learnings in a collaborative manner to further
integrity science and develop consensus
approaches. This is the surest way to facilitate an
accelerated journey toward the goal of zero
incidents.
DISCLAIMER
Any information or data pertaining to Enbridge
Employee Services Canada Inc., or its affiliates, contained
in this article was provided to the authors with the express
permission of Enbridge Employee Services Canada Inc., or
its affiliates. Enbridge Employee Services Canada Inc. and
its affiliates and their respective employees, officers, director,
and agents shall not be liable for any claims for loss,
damage, or costs, of any kind whatsoever, arising from any
errors, inaccuracies, or incompleteness of the information
and data contained in this article or for any loss, damage,
or costs that may arise from the use or interpretation of
this article.
This article is the third in a series of three to be published in Pipelines International detailing
Enbridges experience with best-in-class inspection technology and associated analytical
approaches. The first two articles can be read on the Pipelines International website
Search for:
Effective implementation of a crack in-line inspection programme
Successful management of the pipeline cracking threat using an ultrasonic in-line inspection tool a case
study
HPH 2
Girard Pipeline Pigs
CONCLUSION
The pipeline industry currently faces an
unprecedented level of public and regulatory
PIGGING
PIGGING
All about pigging:

providing solutions to pipeline
integrity
Pipelines Internationals Editor-in-Chief John Tiratsoo reports from the Pipeline Pigging and Integrity
Management Conference and Exhibition that was held in February.
F
Competency is now a
hot topic in the pipeline
business, and
demonstrating
competency is essential
in pipeline engineering.
Michelle Unger of Rosen Group
and co-author Dr Phil Hopkins of
PHL in the UK.
ebruarys Pipeline Pigging and Integrity

Management (PPIM) Conference and
Exhibition the 28th in the annual series
organised in Houston by Clarion Technical
Conferences and Tiratsoo Technical saw
the confluence of 38 conference papers,
108 exhibitors, and over 2,000 visitors at the
Marriot Westchase Hotel. With delegate and
visitor numbers approaching the record-breaking
totals achieved in 2015, the organising team
was delighted to find that the problems being
faced elsewhere in the hydrocarbons industry
seem to have a minimal impact on pipelines
and maintaining their integrity. Its fair to say,
too, that the low oil price has had little effect on
natural gas. As many at the event were keen to
point out, summarised by co-organiser BJ Lowe
of Clarion in his opening remarks, pipelines will
always be needed despite the changing value of
what they transport, and this event has clearly
become a significant and recognised opportunity
for meeting, learning, and networking for this
industry.
As in previous years, the four days of the
meeting were structured around two days of
training courses (there were 11), a two-day
conference, and the exhibition which included
two early-evening receptions at which the many
visitors were able to take advantage of the
hospitality provided by sponsors Rosen Group
and Precision Pigging. There was also a half-day
briefing on pipeline pigging and integrity in
non-technical language which proved popular
A: Attendees collecting their passes.
and helpful to those new to the industry, and a

special conference session on in-ditch NDE
technologies for detecting and sizing cracks and
seam-weld anomalies, which included an
opportunity for those attending to get some
hands-on experience of the latest technologies
that are available in this area. A final component
of these hectic few days was an evening happy
hour organised by the Young Pipelines
Professional of the USA, and sponsored by a
number of industry companies. The YPP is a fastgrowing group, and the reception though party
is probably a better word brought members of
the association and guests together for an
entertaining hour or two. Attendees were briefly
but eloquently welcomed by vice-chair Molly
Laughlin.
For the first time in this events history the
number of papers offered broke all records. The
programme advisory committee (composed of six
senior representatives from pipeline operators and
three independent consultants) had a hard task in
whittling down this number to fit the number of
presentation slots available, and the result was a
two-track programme on the first afternoon and a
three-track programme on the second morning,
with plenary sessions at the beginning and the
end. This required careful planning, particularly
as the main meeting room had to be split into two
during the first lunch break, and the two halves
then had to be combined during the second lunch
break. All went smoothly with these processes,
however, due to the clever design of the
B: Attendees arriving for the Young Pipeline Professionals reception.

C: Attendees visiting the exhibition.
D: Aaron Lockey of Penspen, addresses the conference.
E: The Q-INLINE team.

F: The Rosen Reception kicked the event off in style.
G: Members of the Rosen group.
H: The Precision Pigging Team.
I: BJ Lowe officially opens the conference program.
J: Delegates hear from Michelle Unger of Rosen.
PIGGING
PIGGING
It is heartening that this

fascinating and
important industry
continues to provide
solutions to almost every
imaginable pipelineintegrity assessment
problem, although there
are still challenges to
be met.
audio-visual display by meeting planner Ayers

Meetings & Events and GVP, the contractor, as
well as skilful help from the hotel staff.
The main track of the conference was,
unsurprisingly, pipeline pigging in its many facets,
with secondary tracks considering offshore topics,
crack topics, data topics, and materials topics.
The programme began, however, with a
discussion of competency in engineering
presented by Michelle Unger of Rosen Group on
behalf of herself and co-author Dr Phil Hopkins
of PHL in the UK. As they conclude,
competency is now a hot topic in the pipeline
business, and demonstrating competency is
essential in pipeline engineering. This comment
was combined with the caveat that confidence
does not predicate competence. The programme
moved on to look at various aspects of
hydrotesting, including posing questions about its
necessity for proving integrity, with contributions

from Dr Mike Kirkwood and Dr Abdel Zellou of
TD Williamson, Mike Rosenfeld and Dr Jing Ma
of Kiefner & Assocs, and Dr Ted Anderson of
Team Industrial Services.
There is, regrettably, not enough space to
discuss each of the papers, the abstracts of which
remain online at www.clarion.org. However and
totally subjectively one or two highlights deserve
mentioning, although their choice has been
difficult. Aaron Lockey of Penspen in the UK
gave a clear and precise analysis of a validated
assessment method for dent fatigue, based on his
work for UKOPA, and this was followed by an
overview of risk as a competitive advantage
presented by Matt Byrne on behalf of him and
his co-author Matt Hastings of Williams. In terms
of new technologies, Steve Banks from i2i Pipelines
in the UK described his companys work in
HPH 3
Pigs Unlimited
developing data sensors that can be installed in

the simplest of pigs in his paper titled Sensors on
everything, and Dr Stephen Bellemare of
Massachusetts Materials Technology introduced
his companys portable NDT device for
evaluation a pipelines mechanical properties
during integrity digs. Later in the programme,
Rick Desaulniers of Lake Superior Consulting
combined these themes with his paper on
Comparing apples to apples: correlating ILI with
direct examination which gave useful guidance
on this fraught subject.
As mentioned above, there was also a special
afternoon conference session on cracks, coordinated by Sergio Limon of Limon Pipeline
Analytics. Six presentations were given, and
delegates were able to us the actual equipment
involved at the end of the session. Of particular
interest was Athena Industrial Services Echo 3-D,
which has been under development by the
company in Calgary for a number of years. Along

with the other technologies discussed from Zetec,
Riccardelli Consulting Services, SGS, and Eddyfi,
its clear that NDE for detecting and sizing cracks
and seam-weld anomalies is no longer a
hit-or-miss affair.
The success of the exhibition is such that there
is a growing waiting list of companies eager to
join in (a happy thought for the events
organisers!), and so it was announced that next
years event (on 27 February 2 March) will be
held at the much larger George R Brown
Convention Centre and the next-door Marriott
Marquis Hotel (currently under construction), in
downtown Houston. The 2017 conference and its
preceding training courses will be held in the
hotel, while the exhibition and its social events
will be held in the GRB, to which the hotel will be
connected by a high-level walkway. The
organisers say that there are many advantages to
this move, not least of which will be that more

space will be available in the exhibition as well as
for the conference, so that space for further
growth can be sustained.
In signing-off from last months event,
co-organisers BJ Lowe and this author
congratulated all the authors and speakers who
took part, commended the sponsors and
exhibitors for their support, and thanked all who
visited. It is heartening that this fascinating and
important industry continues to provide solutions
to almost every imaginable pipeline-integrity
assessment problem, although there are still
challenges to be met. PPIM is where youll find
the answers!
For more information about future

PPIM events visit www.clarion.org
HPH 4
Enduro Pipeline
RISK MANAGEMENT
RISK MANAGEMENT
Damage vs failure:
a risk assessment needs
to know the difference
To measure resistance in a way most useful to a risk assessment, we must

estimate the possible presence of weaknesses, the rate of emergence of future
weaknesses, and the role of each weakness in strength reduction.
By W. Kent Muhlbauer, WKM

Consulting, Austin, TX, USA
Since several of our recent columns have dealt with
management-of-risk issues, lets go back now to the
technical side. That is, lets take a deeper look into an
aspect of the mechanics of good risk assessment the
measuring of risk.
W. Kent Muhlbauer is a regular

columnist for Pipelines International, author
of Pipeline Risk Assessment: the Definitive
Approach and its Role in Risk Management,
and presenter of the Advanced
Pipeline Risk Management course run
internationally with Clarion Technical
Conferences and Tiratsoo Technical.
For more information, visit
www.pipelinerisk.net
ecall that proper probability of failure

(PoF) estimation requires independent
measurement of three components:
exposure, mitigation, resistance. Without the
independent measurement of each of these, we
cannot fully understand PoF. When threatened by
failure mechanisms (as all pipelines are) a pipeline
survives by either:
1. Defending against or blocking the
attacking mechanism, or
2. Absorbing or resisting the threatening
force.
Lets discuss the last of these: resistance.
Resistance is the amount of damage a
component can withstand without failure.
Resistance measurements tell us the difference
between damage potential and failure potential.
To measure resistance in a way most useful to a
risk assessment, we must estimate the possible
presence of weaknesses, the rate of emergence of
future weaknesses, and the role of each weakness
in strength reduction. As to the last issue the
role of each weakness type the central question
to be answered is: what has been lost due to the
presence of this feature? For instance, how many
overpressure events, longitudinal stress loadings,
fatigue cycles, vehicle impacts, etc., can now no
longer be resisted, due to the presence of this

weakness? How much shorter is the time to failure
from cracking or material degradation?
Varying levels of rigour are available to the risk
assessment designer. The underlying engineering,
physics, and material-science concepts can be
complex. However, approximations often provide
sufficient accuracy and will be appropriate for
many types of risk assessment.
When more precision in resistance estimation is
desired, pairings of specific weaknesses with
specific potential loadings can be analysed using
solutions up to robust finite-element analyses. For
example, issues related to longitudinal-seam
susceptibilities or girth-weld imperfections have
dramatically different weakness implications for
various loadings such as internal pressure,
external forces, or cyclic fatigue.
For more approximate assessments, resistance
can be efficiently captured by modelling a
pressure-containing components effective wall
thickness. Wall thickness is a very strong
determinant of strength and therefore is a useful
surrogate for all other strength-influencing factors.
Increasing forces or defect severities will each
reduce effective wall thickness and, hence, the
ability to resist additional forces. As wall thickness
is reduced, implications for component strength

include:
Less capacity for pressure containment
Faster time-to-failure (TTF) for
degradation mechanisms
Higher D/t leading to reduced buckling
capacity
Lowered resistance to external forces
including localised (such as puncture) and
uniform (for example, subsea hydrostatic
pressure) loadings.
Therefore, weaknesses can be efficiently
modelled in terms of equivalent reduction in wall
thickness. More reduction in effective pipe-wall
thickness is the same as forecasting increasing
failure rates under assumed loading scenarios. As
a modelling convenience, we translate each
weakness type metal loss, dent, girth weld
defect, axial seam crack, etc. into an equivalent
loss of wall thickness.
Whether a more robust or more modest
assessment is desired, it must take into account
the probabilities of various weaknesses coinciding
with various loading scenarios. The general
process calls for an estimate of potential loads,
stresses, and strains which is overlaid with
estimates of known and suspected weaknesses due

to previous damage or questionable
manufacturing/construction processes (see also
our previous column on Threat interaction: a case of
confusing terminology).
Resistance is especially highlighted in
regulatory Integrity Management Plans.
Inspections and integrity assessments are
essentially measurements of resistance. They may
imply aspects exposure and mitigation, but they
are predominantly telling us about system
strength. Recall our previous example illustrating
this point:
External metal loss on a typical pipeline, usually
detected by inspection such as in-line inspection,
actually tells us several things about every location
where it is found:
Some damage has occurred. We should now
know remaining wall thickness and, hence,
available strength against future loads. Even if
the metal loss is not actionable, some incremental
strength, perhaps inconsequential, has
nonetheless been lost.
Both of the typical mitigation measures, coating
and cathodic protection, have failed.
At least some exposure, usually soil corrosivity,

exists.
The most compelling and certain of these is

the first the measure of resistance. Some
knowledge of exposure and mitigation is also now
available and should be included in the risk
assessment, but it carries more uncertainty. For
instance, when did corrosion begin? When was
each of the mitigation measures lost? Was the
exposure level (the soil corrosivity) constant?
Understanding that resistance prevents failure,
but does so in a different way from how
mitigation prevents failure, provides enormous
insights into failure potential and opportunities to
reduce risk.
Even though we may have few opportunities to
significantly change resistance for an existing
pipeline, this understanding is critical. In the
design phase of a pipeline, we have the
opportunity to choose the balance between
mitigation and resistance levels for the changing
exposure levels along the route.
This is an exercise in risk management. When
done well, it ensures the safest design at the
lowest cost.
QPH 2
BMT Fleet
UPCOMING EVENTS
What if you could have the acclaimed Pipeline

Engineering courses from Clarion Technical
Conferences and Tiratsoo Technical
right on your desktop?
NOW YOU CAN!
EITEPs pipeline conference

and exhibition now to include a
focus on supply networks
For more than 10 years, the international pipeline community has met annually at EITEPs Pipeline
Technology Conference (ptc).
T
ABOVE: Dr Thomas Hwener, Managing Director
Technical Services of Open Grid Europe and Vice
President Gas of DVGW, delivers the keynote speech at
ptc 2015.
For more information visit

www.pipeline-conference.com or
www.pipeandsewer.com
he international event brings together

more than 500 delegates from
50 different countries in Berlin.
Participants come from all the relevant
technology and service providers, and a wide
range of international pipeline operators. More
than 100 delegates from 50 different pipeline
operators attended ptc in 2015 in order to talk
about their specific requirements.
In 2016, the ptc will take place in parallel to
the new Pipe and Sewer Conference (PASC).
Both events will share the same exhibition hall.
All delegates are free to move between 15
technical sessions and a scientific advances poster
session, with more than 100 different

presentations in total. The unique gathering of
pipeline, pipe and sewer professionals from all
over the world will create a multitude of
synergies, and furthers the exchange of
experience across borders and transported media.
The upcoming 11th ptc together with the 1st
Pipe and Sewer Conference will take place from
2325 May 2016 at the Estrel Convention Center
in Berlin, Germany. Following the conference and
exhibition, several company workshops and
technical seminars will take place directly after
the event.
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Purchase an entire course or targeted groups of modules of most interest.

All complete course purchases receive a 20% discount.
COURSE ALUMNI: If you attended any of the public editions of these courses
offered by Clarion and Tiratsoo Technical, you are eligible for a 10% discount on any
of the groups of modules available, or 25% off the complete course.
For more information and to purchase the online courses,

visit www.clarion.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
EVENTS
Dont forget these events

for 2016:
Technical Training Courses

www.tiratsootechnical.com
PIPELINE OPERATIONS &

MANAGEMENT MIDDLE EAST 2016 1114 APRIL 2016
Manama, Bahrain
www.clarion.org
LNG 18 CONFERENCE &

EXHIBITION
Perth, WA, Australia
www.lng18.org
Jess Kraft / Shutterstock
GLOBAL PETROLEUM SHOW 2016
Capacitacin
Pipeline training en Ductos en
in Colombia Colombia
Tiratsoo Technical and Clarion Technical
Conferences, supported by the ROSEN Group,
are organising three pipeline-industry training
courses and a new training workshop in Bogota,
Colombia, on 25 May 2016. Although the
courses and workshop will be presented in English,
simultaneous translation will be provided into
Spanish throughout the event.
Tiratsoo Technical y Clarion Technical, con el

apoyo del Grupo ROSEN, presentan tres cursos de
capacitacin en la industria de ductos e introducen
un nuevo taller en evaluacin de defectos en ductos
en Bogot, Colombia, del 2 al 5 de Mayo 2016.
Los cursos sern representados en ingls, con
traduccin simultnea al espaol durante todo el
evento.
he programme for the courses and workshop is:

Defect assessment in pipelines, 8:00 on 2 May to 12:00 on
4 May, presented by Dr Phil Hopkins, Phil Hopkins Ltd, UK
Pipeline risk management, 8:00 on 2 May to 17:00 on 3 May,
presented by Kent Muhlbauer, WKM, USA
Pipeline in-line inspection, 8:00 on 2 May to 17:00 on 3 May,
presented by Dr Michael Beller, ROSEN Group, Germany
Pipeline defect assessment workshop, 13:00 on 4 May to 12:00 on
5 May, led by Marco Pardo, ROSEN Group, Colombia.
Full details in English and Spanish are at www.tiratsootechnical.com
l programa de los cursos y el taller se presenta a continuacin:

Evaluacin de defectos en ductos, de 8:00 el 2 de Mayo a
12:00 el 4 de Mayo, presentado por el Doctor Phil Hopkins, Phil
Hopkins Ltd, Reino Unido.
Gestin de riesgos en ductos, de 8:00 el 2 de Mayo a 17:00 el 3 de
Mayo, presentado por Kent Muhlbauer, WKM, USA.
Inspeccin interna en ductos, de 8:00 el 2 de Mayo a 17:00 el 3 de
Mayo, presentado por el Doctor Michael Beller, Grupo ROSEN, Alemania.
Taller de evaluacin de defectos en ductos, de 13:00 el 4 de Mayo
a 12:00 el 5 de Mayo, presentado por Marco Pardo, Grupo ROSEN,
Colombia.
Para mayor informacin en ingls y espaol, relacionada con el evento,
visite www.tiratsootecnical.com
1115 APRIL 2016
79 JUNE 2016
Calgary, AB, Canada

www.globalpetroleumshow.com
NACE ITALIA
Exhibition space available

2931 MAY 2016
Genoa, Italy
www.naceitalia.it/genoa2016
SOUTH TEXAS OIL FIELD EXPO

What if you could have the acclaimed Pipeline
Engineering courses from Clarion Technical
Conferences and Tiratsoo Technical
2728 JULY 2016
San Antonio, Texas, USA

www.southtexasoilfieldexpo.com
right on your desktop?
OKC OIL FIELD EXPO
1718 AUGUST 2016
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

www.okcoilfieldexpo.com
For more information and to purchase the online courses,
visit www.tiratsootechnical.com
INTERNATIONAL PIPELINE
CONFERENCE AND
EXPOSITION
2630 SEPTEMBER 2016
Calgary, AB, Canada

www.ipcyyc.com
MAJOR PIPELINE SYSTEMS OF THE USA

A detailed overview of select existing major pipeline systems in the USA.
SASKATCHEWAN
WASHINGTON
ONTARIO
MANITOBA
NORTH DAKOTA
MINNESOTA
Bismarck
VERMONT
35
Pierre
6
Milwaukee
NEBRASKA
Salt Lake City
Cheyenne
23
Des Moines
UTAH
NEVADA
San Francisco
31*
Denver
Baltimore
Washington D.C.
KANSAS
12
Charleston
19
KENTUCKY
VIRGINIA
29
14
MISSOURI
ARIZONA
22
TENNESSEE
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City
1
Phoenix
Little Rock
Columbia
Atlanta
MISSISSIPPI
33
1642 inches
15
Jacksonville
32
MARYLAND
21
Houston
San Antonio
FLORIDA
COAHUILA
0
0
0
500 miles
500 km
NAME
OWNER
Kinder Morgan
BAJA
CALIFORNIA
SUR

CAPACITY
LENGTH
(miles)
Gas
6,182 MMcf/d
10,200
Gas
3,347 MMcf/d
1,129
125 miles
125 km
250 miles
250 km
500 miles
16
17
NAME
OWNER
Southern Star
Dominion Pipeline
Dominion Resources
Kinder Morgan
CAPACITY
LENGTH
(miles)
Gas
2,801 MMcf/d
5,803
Gas
Gas
6,655 MMcf/d
4,099 MMcf/d
3,505
4,300
KEY
29
30
31
NAME
OWNER
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation System

Keystone Pipeline*
National Fuel
TransCanada
PRODUCT
CAPACITY
LENGTH
(miles)
Gas
9,350 MMcf/d
10,365
Gas
2,312 MMcf/d
2,300
2,639
Crude oil
7,332 MMcf/d
9,022
Kinder Morgan
Gas
6,686 MMcf/d
13,900
18
Alliance Pipeline
Gas
2,053 MMcf/d
2,311
32
Seaway Pipeline
Crude oil
850,000 bbl/d
500
Panhandle Energy
Gas
2,840 MMcf/d
6,445
19
Gas
2,386 MMcf/d
4,124
33
Gulf Coast Project
TransCanada
Crude oil
700,000 bbl/d
485
14,700
20
21

Great Lakes Gas Transmission Pipeline*

Gas
Gas
2,400 MMcf/d
2,958 MMcf/d
1,408
2,115
34
35
Longhorn Pipeline
Double H Pipeline

Hiland Partners
Crude oil
Crude oil
84,000 bbl/d
8,466 MMcf/d
10,500
22
Energy Transfer
Gas
2,439 MMcf/d
2,560
36
Tallgrass Energy
Crude oil
230,000 bbl/d
690
6,260 MMcf/d
6,886
23
Questar Pipeline
Questar Pipeline
Gas
3,192 MMcf/d
1,858
37
Olympic Pipeline
BP
Crude oil
315,000 bbl/d
400
Kinder Morgan
Gas
4,848 MMcf/d
9,200
24
Kinder Morgan
Gas
2,736 MMcf/d
800
38
6,374
39
Enbridge
Gas
1,833 MMcf/d
1,680
26
Northwest Pipeline*
Williams
Gas
4,950 MMcf/d
3,880
40
Alberta Clipper*
Enbridge
Trunkline Pipeline
Panhandle Energy
Gas
3,025 MMcf/d
4,202
27
Southern Natural Gas Company System
Kinder Morgan
Gas
3,967 MMcf/d
7,635
14
Boardwalk Pipelines
Gas
4,065 MMcf/d
5,671
28
TransCanada
Gas
2,636 MMcf/d
1,356
Gas
2,217 MMcf/d
4,889
25
12
13
CenterPoint Energy
Gas
NEW BRUNSWICK
17
Brandon
Winnipeg
20
5,385 MMcf/d
Information on this map is intended as a general source of information only. Compiled and published by Great Southern
Press Pty Ltd. Tel: +61 3 9248 5100
14
Fredericton
Thunder Bay
Saint John
Quebec
Trois-Rivieres
Drummondville
NOVA
SCOTIA
Pipelines International has extensive advertising opportunities

available on a variety of valued industry resources.
16
Kingston
150 miles
150 km
Crude oil
Crude oil
2,600,000 bbl/d
1,900
Crude oil
800,000 bbl/d
1,000
300 km
Toronto
22
With the support of:
800
pipelinesinternational.com/shop
Upcoming wallcharts include the Major Pipeline Systems of

the United States.
Halifax
Hamilton
London
18
Montreal
Ottawa
Brampton
Charlottetown
Moncton
700
Gas
Gas
11
2436 inches
2442 inches
* Pipeline continues into United States of America.
PRINCE
EDWARD
ISLAND
Regina
Product information and graphic design Great Southern Press, 2016. Source map courtesy Map Resources.
485
10,600
Williams
Gas
7,442 MMcf/d
7,129 MMcf/d

Gulf South Pipeline
10
Gas
8
9
ANR Pipeline
2,900 km
257 km
ONTARIO
Saskatoon
13
Information used to collate this map was directly provided by companies, the National Energy Board (NEB) and the
Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA).
PRODUCT
1,142 km
572 km
Natural gas
Natural gas
St. John's
Moose Jaw
The Major Pipeline Systems of Canada map provides an overview of existing major pipeline systems in Canada that are
over 100 km in length. The map includes the name, owner, product, approximate length and diameter of the pipeline.
500 km
NUEVO
LEN
DURANGO
KEY
15
Natural gas
NEWFOUNDLAND
&
LABRADOR
QUEBEC
10
Calgary
11
Gas
SINALOA
TAMAULIPAS
PRODUCT
Spectra Energy
Union Gas
Edmonton
Red Deer
Vancouver
Lethbridge
Crude oil and rened products
TransCanada Pipelines (50%), Gaz Metro (50%)
Westcoast Pipeline System (B.C Pipeline)

Dawn to Parkway Trunkline
SASKATCHEWAN
19
Kinder Morgan
Trans Mountain Pipeline System
TransQuebec and Maritimes Pipeline Mainline
20
21
15
850 km
930 km
MANITOBA
12
11
Austin
Rened fuel products

Natural gas liquids
Annapolis
Richmond
Jackson
LOUISIANA
Tallahassee
34
CHIHUAHUA
Natural gas
TransNorthern Pipeline Inc.

Spectra Energy
Victoria
GEORGIA
ALABAMA
9
TEXAS
KEY
OntarioQuebec Pipeline
PTC Pipeline
18
ALBERTA
Nova Gas Transmission Pipeline System (NGTL)
16
17
19
BRITISH COLUMBIA
NEW JERSEY
Trenton
Philadelphia
Kamloops
27
Montgomery
Dallas
El Paso
SONORA
24 inch
3642 inches
3036 inches
30 inch
24,373 km
MASSACHUSETTS
RHODE ISLAND
Raleigh
Charlotte
SOUTH CAROLINA
Memphis
25
10
BAJA
CALIFORNIA
CANADA
3036 inches
12 inches
20 inches
434 km
1,241 km
1,227 km
575 km
NORTH CAROLINA
ARKANSAS
NEW MEXICO
San Diego
Nashville
15
Santa Fe
Los Angeles
38
ALASKA
36 inch
12 inches
855 km
2,306 km
175 km
1,241 km
Crude oil
Natural gas
Crude oil
Natural gas
Richmond
WEST
VIRGINIA
Frankfort
Jefferson City
14,114 km
995 km
175 km
Crude oil
Crude oil
Crude oil
Crude oil
DELAWARE
OHIO
13
Topeka
CALIFORNIA
Harrisburg
30
Columbus
Indianapolis
Springfield
COLORADO
San Jose
INDIANA
3642 inches
30 inch
Natural gas
Spectra Energy
CONNECTICUT
16
ILLINOIS
DIAMETER
36 inches
1,560 km
143 km
Propane and ethane-propane

Natural gas
Enbridge Inc.
Enbridge Inc.
Enbridge Inc.
Enbridge Inc.
Spectra Energy (77.53%); Emera (12.92%); ExxonMobil Corporation (9.55%)
New York
PENNSYLVANIA
IOWA
Lincoln
LENGTH
1,069 km
Natural gas
Natural gas
Kinder Morgan
Encana Corporation
Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline
Detroit
Chicago
36
Carson City
Sacramento
Iqaluit
Express-Platte Pipeline System *

Foothills Pipeline System
Keystone Pipeline *
14
Hartford
Lansing
PRODUCT
Crude oil
Enbridge Inc. (50%); Versan (50%)
Emera Brunswick Pipeline Company

Enbridge Pipelines (NW) Inc. System

Enbridge Mainline *
Enbridge Westspur Pipeline
Enbridge Southern Lights (Line 13) *
13
Boston
39*
MICHIGAN
Madison
17
OWNER
Enbridge Inc.
Canadian Mainline
Cochin Pipeline System

Deep Panuke Pipeline
12
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Albany
WYOMING
24
NAME
Alberta Clipper (Line 67) *

Alliance Pipeline *
Brunswick Pipeline
5
6
10
11
Yellowknife
Concord
NEW YORK
21*
WISCONSIN
Augusta
Montpelier
Saint Paul
SOUTH DAKOTA
Boise
3
4
NUNAVUT
MAINE
MONTANA
IDAHO
OREGON
Whitehorse
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
40*
20*
Helena
Salem
Set yourself apart with

Pipelines International
GSP QPH
PIN Wallcharts
NEW
BRUNSWICK
26*
Portland
NOTE: This is a schematic representation and shows approximate

routes of major US pipelines. It does not show exact pipeline routes.
Route, length, and capacity information is approximate and intended
as a guide only, and is correct as at May 2015.
QUEBEC
18*
37
For additional copies of this poster and for advertising enquiries,

This map is intended as a general source of information only.
YUKON TERRITORY
ALBERTA
28*
Seattle
Olympia
A detailed overview of select existing major pipeline systems in Canada.

KEY
BRITISH COLUMBIA

Tel: +61 3 9248 5100
MAJOR PIPELINE SYSTEMS OF CANADA
300 miles
Advertising spaces are limited, so get in quick to secure your

spot. These popular wallcharts also have excellent industry
event distribution.
Contact: Megan Lehn at mlehn@gs-press.com.au or call us on
+61 3 9248 5100
ADVERTISERS INDEX
Allu Finland
18
American Augers
OBC
Anticorrosion Protective Systems L.L.C. 14
BMT Fleet Technology Ltd
59
Canusa CPS
13
E-Z Line Pipe Support company, Inc. 42
Enduro Pipeline Services
57
Girard Pipeline Pigs

53
International Pipeline Conference and
Exposition 2016
19
LNG 18
17
NACE Milano Italia Section
23
NDT Global
IFC
Pigs Unlimited International
56
Power Associates International Inc
45
Quest Integrity Group

Romstar Group
Rosen Technology & Research
Center GmbH
STATS Group
TESMEC S.p.A.
Vermeer
1
3
5
15
11
21
In the next edition of
Flexible pipelines,
featuring a case
study from Technip
ISSUE 26 | DECEMBER 2015
Cover story:
Record pipelaying in the
Norwegian Sea
Page 42
Investigating pipeline
airborne leak
detection
Creating an effective
crack management
programme
Page 14
Page 34

Douglas-Westwood:
pipeline industry
forecast to 2019
The history of the

Page 10
Page 46
Page 30
ALSO FEATURED
Operational pigging
India region review
Robotic ILI
A frontline tool to control

internal corrosion of pipelines
Including an exclusive from

GAIL
Case study of a Transco pipeline

in an urban area
For editorial enquiries contact Lyndsie Clark: lclark@gs-press.com.au

For sales enquiries contact Megan Lehn: mlehn@gs-press.com.au
MAJOR PIPELINE SYSTEMS OF

THE
A detailed overview of select existing
Featured item
Compiled and published by Great Southern

Press Pty Ltd.
Tel: +61 3 9248 5100
Seattle
28*
WASHINGTON
Olympia
MANITOBA
ONTARIO
QUEBEC
37
26*
Portland
NEW
BRUNSWICK
18*
20*
Salem
Helena
of information only.
40*
MONTANA
NORTH DAKOTA
IDAHO
NOTE: This is a schematic representation

and shows approximate
routes of major US pipelines. It does
not show exact pipeline routes.
Route, length, and capacity information
is approximate and intended
as a guide only, and is correct as at May
2015.
Major Pipeline Systems of the USA
SASKATCHEWAN
ALBERTA
For additional copies of this poster and

for advertising enquiries,
This map is intended as a general source
USA
major pipeline systems in the USA.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Product information and graphic design

Great Southern Press, 2016.
MINNESOTA
Bismarck
OREGON
MAINE
35
VERMONT
Boise
SOUTH DAKOTA
Saint Paul
Pierre
WYOMING
Concord
21*
Cheyenne
CONNECTICUT
IOWA
12
CALIFORNIA
INDIANA
Topeka
KANSAS
Washington D.C.
WEST
VIRGINIA
KENTUCKY
Santa Fe
Charlotte
Columbia
33
Atlanta
MISSISSIPPI
27
Dallas
El Paso
Montgomery
CANADA
34
GEORGIA
ALABAMA
Jackson
LOUISIANA
TEXAS
SONORA
Raleigh
SOUTH CAROLINA
10
BAJA
CALIFORNIA
38
ALASKA
MARYLAND
Richmond
VIRGINIA
NORTH CAROLINA
TENNESSEE
Memphis
25 Little
Rock
22
29
Nashville
ARKANSAS
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City
Phoenix
14
15
NEW MEXICO
San Diego
DELAWARE
Annapolis
Charleston
19
Frankfort
Jefferson City
MISSOURI
ARIZONA
Los Angeles
Trenton
Philadelphia
Baltimore
OHIO
13
5
This wallchart displays route and pipeline information for select

major US pipelines.
NEW JERSEY
Harrisburg
30
Columbus
Indianapolis
New York
PENNSYLVANIA
16
ILLINOIS
Springfield
COLORADO
RHODE ISLAND
Detroit
Chicago
Des Moines
Lincoln
31*
Denver
32
Jacksonville
Tallahassee
Austin
CHIHUAHUA
San Antonio
11
Houston
COAHUILA
AVAILABLE NOW!
Hartford
Lansing
36
UTAH
MASSACHUSETTS
39*
Milwaukee
NEBRASKA
23
NEVADA
San Jose
Boston
Albany
MICHIGAN
Madison
17
Salt Lake City
Carson City
Sacramento
San Francisco
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW YORK
6
24
Augusta
Montpelier
WISCONSIN
0
0
500 miles
500 km

FLORIDA
BAJA
CALIFORNIA
SUR
SINALOA
NAME
1
2


5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

ANR Pipeline
Gulf South Pipeline
13
Trunkline Pipeline
14
NUEVO
LEN
DURANGO
125 km
250 miles
250 km
500 miles
500 km
TAMAULIPAS
KEY
125 miles
OWNER
Kinder Morgan
Kinder Morgan
Panhandle Energy
Williams
Kinder Morgan
Panhandle Energy
Boardwalk Pipelines
PRODUCT
Gas
LENGTH
(miles)
10,200
15
1,129
16
Dominion Pipeline
3,347 MMcf/d
7,332 MMcf/d
9,022
Gas
Gas
Gas
Gas
Gas
Gas
KEY
CAPACITY
6,182 MMcf/d
Gas
Gas
6,686 MMcf/d
2,840 MMcf/d
7,442 MMcf/d
13,900
6,445
14,700
7,129 MMcf/d
10,600
8,466 MMcf/d
10,500
6,260 MMcf/d
NAME
17
18
19
20
21
22

23
4,848 MMcf/d
Questar Pipeline
9,200
24
2,217 MMcf/d
4,889
25
1,833 MMcf/d
1,680
Gas
26
3,025 MMcf/d
Northwest Pipeline*
4,202
27
4,065 MMcf/d
Southern Natural Gas Company
28
5,671
LENGTH
(miles)
2,801 MMcf/d
5,803
Gas
Kinder Morgan
Gas
Gas
Gas
CenterPoint Energy
Kinder Morgan
TransCanada
6,655 MMcf/d
4,099 MMcf/d
2,053 MMcf/d
2,386 MMcf/d
2,400 MMcf/d
2,958 MMcf/d
3,505
4,300
2,311
4,124
1,408
2,115
KEY
NAME
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation
2,439 MMcf/d
2,560
36
3,192 MMcf/d
1,858
37
Olympic Pipeline
2,736 MMcf/d
800
38
Gas
5,385 MMcf/d
6,374
39
4,950 MMcf/d
3,880
40
Gas
3,967 MMcf/d
7,635
Gas
2,636 MMcf/d
1,356
PRODUCT

System
Keystone Pipeline*
National Fuel
TransCanada
Hiland Partners
Tallgrass Energy

Alberta Clipper*
Gas
BP
Enbridge
Enbridge
LENGTH
(miles)
CAPACITY
9,350 MMcf/d
Gas
TransCanada
Seaway Pipeline
Gulf Coast Project
Longhorn Pipeline
Double H Pipeline
Gas
Gas
OWNER
Gas
Gas
Williams
System
CAPACITY
Gas
Gas

Energy Transfer
Questar Pipeline
Gas
PRODUCT
Gas
Kinder Morgan
Alliance Pipeline

Great Lakes Gas Transmission
Pipeline*
6,886
Gas
Gas
Gas
OWNER
Southern Star
Dominion Resources
2,312 MMcf/d
Crude oil
Crude oil
Crude oil
Crude oil
10,365
2,639
500
485
84,000 bbl/d
230,000 bbl/d
Crude oil
2,300
850,000 bbl/d
700,000 bbl/d
Crude oil
Crude oil
700
485
690
315,000 bbl/d
400
Crude oil
800
Crude oil
2,600,000 bbl/d
1,900
Crude oil
800,000 bbl/d
1,000
Subscription
Pipelines International (four issues)
Cover story:
Saudi Aramco General Manager Pipelines
Page 30
ISSUE 26 | DECEMBER 2015
Douglas-Westwood:
pipeline industry
forecast to 2019
The history of the

Cover story:
Page 10
Page 46
Page 42
Record pipelaying in the

Norwegian Sea
Investigating pipeline
airborne leak
detection
Creating an effective
crack management
programme
Page 14
Page 34
Pipeline Construction Wallchart
Journal of Pipeline Engineering
The Pipeline Construction Wallchart is

an in-depth look at the various stages of
pipeline construction.
An independent,
international, quarterly
journal that reviews
technical advances in
a wide range of
engineering subjects for
oil, gas and products
pipelines.
PIPELINE
CONSTRUCTION
1
CLEARING AND GRADING
The pipeline right-of-way is cleared and graded to

prepare for construction. Where possible, the larger
trees will remain and special care is taken to ensure
areas of heritage or environmental significance are
not disturbed.
Bulldozers clear the scrub and foliage.

Graders scrape the seed stock and topsoil to
be safely placed in stockpiles along the right-of-way
extremities until reinstatement.
TRENCHING
A trench is dug, into which the pipeline is laid.
A fleet of bucket wheel and saw trenching

machines are deployed to excavate a trench to the
required design, into which the pipeline is laid. In hard
rock conditions, excavators with hydraulic drill
attachments or drill and blast techniques can be
used as alternatives to mechanical trenching machines.
The Construction Spread Poster provides a visual representation of the major stages involved in the construction of an onshore pipeline, as well as a
description of the main equipment and machinery used at each stage.
This poster is a schematic representation of some of the machinery and equipment used in
pipeline construction, and shows generic depictions of these. It does not show specific brands of machinery.
Tel: +61 3 9248 5100
NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
LOWERING IN
The pipeline is lowered into the trench. The

pipe is jeeped to ensure that any pipe coating
imperfections (holidays) in the parent or field joint
coating are identified and repaired prior to its
placement in the trench.
Non-destructive testing is performed prior to the

coating and lowering in of the pipeline to ensure
the integrity of each weld is maintained. A number
of methods can be used, including X-ray, ultrasonic
and visual.
A series of pipelayers with roller cradles

attached lower the pipe into the trench.
Excavators, graders and dozers undertake bulk

earthworks to ensure that a level working platform
is achieved to safely undertake subsequent activities.
HYDROSTATIC TESTING
A final integrity check of the pipeline is undertaken

where water is pumped into the pipeline and held to
a predetermined pressure higher than the maximum
allowable operating pressure. It is generally held for
four hours for a strength test, and then for 24 hours
for a leak test. The pressure is monitored during this
time and any pressure losses are accounted for to
ensure that the pipeline can be safely commissioned.
Prior to testing the pipeline, a pig is run through the
pipeline to check the roundness of the pipe, then
another pig is run through it to clean it of debris. After
hydrostatic testing, the pipeline is typically dried to a
dewpoint of -20 Celsius.
An optional further integrity check involves running
a calliper or intelligent pig. A calliper pig
operation is usually undertaken as part of the
commissioning process, or as a periodic integrity
check during operations.
1
7
9248 5100
STRINGING AND BENDING
Sections of pipe are placed along the right-of-way

in preparation for welding. Some of these pipes may
Prime movers with 18 m extendible trailers are
used to transport pipe from the pipe manufacture or
pipe storage facilities directly to the right-of-way.
An excavator with a vacuum pipelifter attachment
is often used to lift pipe and place it continuously
alongside the right-of-way, ready for welding, in a
process called stringing.
Hydraulic bending machines are used to coldbend lengths of steel pipe to the contour and radius
of the designed trench prior to welding. For tighter
bends, induction or hot bends are used, and these
are fabricated offsite with purpose-built machines that
heat the pipe to soften the steel and make it pliable.
Vol.12, No.1
Journal of
Pipeline Engineering
incorporating
The Journal of Pipeline Integrity
require bending depending on the pipeline alignment.
10
March, 2013
WELDING
Pipe is welded together above ground on timber skids

to form long strings of pipe. The welders are highlyskilled tradesmen who perform to stringent quality
procedures. After the pipe has been welded, a grinder
is used to smooth the weld seam.
In Australia, pipe diameters are generally of a smaller
diameter, over long distances. The high-speed nature of
cross-country pipelines lends the welding method to a
manual vertical-down cellulous welding procedure.
For larger diameters, an automated welding
system is used, with automatically controlled
machines (bugs) manipulating welding conditions such
as arc length and travel speeds while the process is
monitored by a welding machine operator.
FIELD JOINT COATING
After the pipe has been welded and cleared with

non-destructive testing, the pipeline is grit-blasted
to a profile that facilitates maximum adherence
between the field joint coating system and the steel
pipe. Field joint coating is an external coating system
applied to the welded joint to protect the metallic
surface from corrosion and mechanical impacts.
Occasionally, a protective wrap can be applied
after field joint coating for additional pipeline
protection.The wrap shields the pipeline coating from
damaging backfill, and acts as an additional line of
defence against corrosion.
Coating systems can vary from the application
of tape or a heat shrink sleeve to a liquid or powderspray epoxy, which is applied over the weld.
PADDING AND BACKFILLING
Fine soil is placed around the pipeline in the trench

to protect it from its surroundings. Padding beneath
a pipeline is referred to as bedding while padding
covering a pipeline is known as shading. After
shading, the remaining excavated material is placed
to fill the balance of the trench in a process known as
backfilling. As an alternative to bedding, sometimes
the pipeline is placed on foam pipe pillows inside
the trench and, in this case, only shading is required.
10
REINSTATEMENT
The right-of-way is returned to its original state prior

to construction in a process that is crucial to reducing
the pipelines long-term environmental impact.
A padding machine sifts out larger material such

as rock and gravel from the excavated material, leaving
smaller fine material (padding) to support and protect
the pipeline.
Great Southern Press
Clarion Technical Publishers
www.pipelinesinternational.com/shop

Pipelines International March 2016

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