Satellite-Based Monitoring of Subsidence Ground Movement Impacting Pipeline Integrity

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Youden ◽  
Desmond Power ◽  
Ping Han ◽  
Jerry English ◽  
Rick Gailing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Program ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Ground Subsidence ◽  
Ground Movements ◽  
Gps Survey ◽  
Management Technology ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Sar Data ◽  
Technology Institute

Ground movements due to a range of governing mechanisms are recognized to pose hazards to the operating integrity of pipelines in California. As part of an extensive technology management program, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) is involved in the development and implementation of satellite-based monitoring of subsidence ground movements impacting pipeline integrity. By both hosting a Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) study and undertaking an internal study, SoCalGas is supporting the investigation of two aspects of this promising pipeline integrity management technology. The current project of monitoring ground subsidence due to oil production in the San Joaquin Valley utilizes synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to derive sub-centimeter ground movement measurements from February to September, 2001. The estimates of the subsidence derived from the SAR data are compared with GPS survey results taken at 65 monuments. In addition, archived SAR data from 1992 to 2000 are used to better estimate the movement that has occurred there over the past decade.

Integrity Management of Ground Movement Hazards

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Yi Wang ◽  
Don West ◽  
Douglas Dewar ◽  
Alex McKenzie-Johnson ◽  
Millan Sen
Keyword(s):  
Management Program ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Tensile Failure ◽  
Weld Strength ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Ground Movements ◽  
Decision Points ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Girth Welds

Ground movements, such as landslides and subsidence/settlement, can pose serious threats to pipeline integrity. The consequence of these incidents can be severe. In the absence of systematic integrity management, preventing and predicting incidents related to ground movements can be difficult. A ground movement management program can reduce the potential of those incidents. Some basic concepts and terms relevant to the management of ground movement hazards are introduced first. A ground movement management program may involve a long segment of a pipeline that may have a threat of failure in unknown locations. Identifying such locations and understanding the potential magnitude of the ground movement is often the starting point of a management program. In other cases, management activities may start after an event is known to have occurred. A sample response process is shown to illustrate key considerations and decision points after the evidence of an event is discovered. Such a process can involve fitness-for-service (FFS) assessment when appropriate information is available. The framework and key elements of FFS assessment are explained, including safety factors on strain capacity. The use of FFS assessment is illustrated through the assessment of tensile failure mode. Assessment models are introduced, including key factors affecting the outcome of an assessment. The unique features of girth welds in vintage pipelines are highlighted because the management of such pipelines is a high priority in North America and perhaps in other parts of the worlds. Common practice and appropriate considerations in a pipeline replacement program in areas of potential ground movement are highlighted. It is advisable to replace pipes with pipes of similar strength and stiffness so the strains can be distributed as broadly as possible. The chemical composition of pipe steels and the mechanical properties of the pipes should be such that the possibility of HAZ softening and weld strength undermatching is minimized. In addition, the benefits and cost of using the workmanship flaw acceptance criteria of API 1104 or equivalent standards in making repair and cutout decisions of vintage pipelines should be evaluated against the possible use of FFS assessment procedures. FFS assessment provides a quantifiable performance target which is not available through the workmanship criteria. However, necessary inputs to perform FFS assessment may not be readily available. Ongoing work intended to address some of the gaps is briefly described.

The Contribution of In-Line IMU Inspection to Geohazard and Crack Management Strategies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Young ◽  
Andrew Wilde ◽  
Ivan Grosmann
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Ground Subsidence ◽  
Measurement Unit ◽  
External Loading ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
The Right

Abstract Geohazards and external loads are a significant threat to the integrity of pipelines in hilly terrain, at river crossings and where ground subsidence is taking place. Well designed pipelines can tolerate strains that exceed the nominal strain of 0.5% that corresponds specified minimum yield strengths, however the presence of weld defects and stress corrosion cracking can reduce the load capacity dramatically. Welds that are to specification but are under-matched on actual strength to the adjacent parent pipe have also been recognised as potentially vulnerable to low strain failures in high strength pipes. Modern pipelines in terrain susceptible to geohazards normally include design studies to identify and avoid or mitigate the threats. Surveillance of the right-of-way is also routinely carried out for pipelines with good integrity management practices, and particularly for major strategic lines. In-line inspection using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) is a well-known method to detect ground movement loads and contributes to the integrity management of pipelines. In this paper we illustrate : 1. How IMU inspection is an important tool in the management of geohazards and how it compliments other methods of geohazard assessment. 2. How locations of elevated pipe strain are identified and evaluated for external loading threats, and can be aligned with other data sets that indicate the pipeline load capacity. 3. How the locations of bending strain can be prioritised for further action. 4. How the loading profile in the pipeline can be incorporated into crack management strategies in order prioritise locations for further investigation or assessment.

Advances in the Use of Spaceborne InSAR for Application to Pipeline Route Selection and Integrity Management

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey R. Froese ◽  
Marco van der Kooij ◽  
Keith Kosar
Keyword(s):  
Ground Subsidence ◽  
Archival Data ◽  
Route Selection ◽  
Movement Rates ◽  
Ground Movements ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Pipeline Route ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Ongoing Monitoring

Spaceborne Synthetic Aperature Radar (InSAR) is a technique that has been used to measure ground movements associated with slope movements and subsidence since the mid-90’s. Previous applications had utilized either dry terrain with no vegetation cover or have relied on the use of articial targets to quanitify deformations. Recent advances in the processing technology have allowed for sub-millimetre level accuracy movements tracking over long time periods and for detection of movements as small as 2 mm/month in vegetated slopes in northern Canada. The archival data and the active aquisitions allow engineers working in the pipeline industry to both review previous movement rates and patterns for planning of pipeline routes and provides a tool for ongoing monitoring of deformations due to ground subsidence or slope movement for operational pipelines.

Use of Geometric In-Line Inspection (ILI) Intelligence Tools With the Inertial Module for Diagnosis and Management of Structural Integrity in Pipelines With Geohazards: Case Study

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Freddy Hernández Sánchez ◽  
Carlos Antonio Vergara ◽  
Carlos Hidalgo
Keyword(s):  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Geological Diversity ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Unstable Slope ◽  
Intelligent Tools

Colombia is a country located in a geographical area with great geological diversity, where every day the effects of climate change increases the probability of the failure of buried pipelines due to the movement of land or the instability associated with them. That is why the use of geometric In Line Inspection (ILI) intelligent tools with the inertial module is important for the diagnosis of structural integrity of pipelines and is associated with an integrity management program due to the geotechnical threats present throughout its path. It decreases maintenance costs due to pump stoppage for unscheduled repairs, anticipating the solution, and mitigating and controlling deformations in the pipeline caused by geotechnical ground displacements. OCENSA-Pipeline Central SA (Colombia) has developed, through its experience, a program to manage integrity by determining the structural expense in specific sections due to displacement of the pipeline caused by ground movement through the use of the Geometric ILI tools and MFL inertial module. This paper specifically presents the use of the tool in decision-making based on OCENSA’s preset study limits for deformations in the elastic range and plastic building material of the pipeline. In 1997 OCENSA was among the first companies in Latin America to use Inertial Geo-positioning technology; today there are sectors which have been inspected with this technology as many as five times, in which pipe displacement of up to 5 meters has been found. The case study presented refers to a geographical point on the route of the pipeline located in the Andes, at the site of the movement known as the “La negra” ravine, near the town of Puente Nacional, where movements of the pipeline associated with geotechnically unstable slope conditions were detected by In line inspection (ILI) Geometric and inertial modules, beginning in 2004. Since that time, integrity management was conducted in order to reduce the chances pipeline failure will materialize in this area of geotechnical instability.

The Role of Offshore Monitoring in an Effective Deepwater Riser Integrity Management Program

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany Goldsmith ◽  
Elizabeth Foyt ◽  
Madhu Hariharan
Keyword(s):  
Failure Modes ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Measured Data ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Positioning Systems ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Deepwater Riser

As offshore field developments move into deeper water, one of the greatest challenges is in designing riser systems capable of overcoming the added risks of more severe environments, complicated well requirements and uncertainty of operating conditions. The failure of a primary riser component could lead to unacceptable consequences, including environmental damage, lost production and possible injury or loss of human life. Identification of the risks facing riser systems and management of these risks are essential to ensure that riser systems operate without failure. Operators have recognized the importance of installing instrumentation such as global positioning systems (GPS), vessel motion measurement packages, wind and wave sensors and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) units to monitor vessel motions and environmental conditions. Additionally, high precision monitoring equipment has been developed for capturing riser response. Measured data from these instruments allow an operator to determine when the limits of acceptable response, predicted by analysis or determined by physical limitations of the riser components, have been exceeded. Regular processing of measured data through automated routines ensures that integrity can be quickly assessed. This is particularly important following extreme events, such as a hurricane or loop current. High and medium alert levels are set for each parameter, based on design analysis and operating data. Measured data is compared with these alert levels, and when an alert level is reached, further response evaluation or inspection of the components in question is recommended. This paper will describe the role of offshore monitoring in an integrity management program and discuss the development of alert levels based on potential failure modes of the riser systems. The paper will further demonstrate how this process is key for an effective integrity management program for deepwater riser systems.

Simulation of the Response of Buried Pipelines to Slope Movement Using 3D Continuum Modeling

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelfettah Fredj ◽  
Aaron Dinovitzer
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Pressure ◽  
Slope Movement ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Ground Subsidence ◽  
Continuum Modeling ◽  
Buried Pipelines ◽  
Design Standards ◽  
Codes Of Practice ◽  
Modeling Process ◽  
Ongoing Work

Pipeline integrity is affected by the action of external soil loads in addition to internal fluid pressure. External soil loads can be generated by landslides or at sites subject to ground subsidence, heave or seismic effects. Under these varied conditions of ground movement potential pipeline safety involves constraints on design and operations. The design processes includes developing an understanding of strains that could be imposed on the pipe (strain demand) and strain limits that the pipe can withstand without failure. The ability to predict the pipeline load, stress or strains state in the presence of soil restraint and/or soil displacement induced loading is not well described in design standards or codes of practice. This paper describes the ongoing work involved in a study investigating the mechanical behavior of buried pipelines interacting with active landslides. Detailed pipe-soil interaction analyses were completed with a 3D continuum SPH method. This paper describes the LS-DYNA numerical modeling process, previously developed by the authors, which was refined and applied to site-specific conditions. To illustrate the performance of the modeling process to consider a translational slide, additional numerical model validation was completed and is described in this paper. These comparisons illustrate that good agreement was observed between the modeling results and experimental full scale trial results. Sample results of the application of the validated 3D continuum modeling process are presented. These results are being used to develop generalized trends in pipeline response to slope movements. The paper describes both the progress achieved to date and the future potential for simplified engineering design tools to assess the load or deformation capacity requirements of buried pipelines exposed to different types of slope movement.

Testing of Acoustic Emission Technology to Detect Cracks and Corrosion in the Marine Environment

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (02) ◽  
pp. 106-110
Author(s):  
Ge Wang ◽  
Michael Lee ◽  
Chris Serratella ◽  
Stanley Botten ◽  
Sam Ternowchek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Emission ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Pipeline System ◽  
Inspection Planning ◽  
Structural Degradation ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Acoustic Emission Technology

Real-time monitoring and detection of structural degradation helps in capturing the structural conditions of ships. The latest nondestructive testing (NDT) and sensor technologies will potentially be integrated into future generations of the structural integrity management program. This paper reports on a joint development project between Alaska Tanker Company, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), and MISTRAS. The pilot project examined the viability of acoustic emission technology as a screening tool for surveys and inspection planning. Specifically, testing took place on a 32-year-old double-hull Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) trade tanker. The test demonstrated the possibility of adapting this technology in the identification of critical spots on a tanker in order to target inspections. This targeting will focus surveys and inspections on suspected areas, thus increasing efficiency of detecting structural degradation. The test has the potential to introduce new inspection procedures as the project undertakes the first commercial testing of the latest acoustic emission technology during a tanker's voyage.

Pipeline Geohazard Assessment: Bridging the Gap Between Integrity Management and Construction Safety Contexts

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney S. Read
Keyword(s):  
Construction Safety ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Pipeline Construction ◽  
Probability Estimates ◽  
Subject Matter Expertise ◽  
Management Context ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Geohazard Assessment

Geohazards are threats of a geological, geotechnical, hydrological, or seismic/tectonic nature that may negatively affect people, infrastructure and/or the environment. In a pipeline integrity management context, geohazards are considered under the time-independent threat category of Weather-related and Outside Force in the American standard ASME B31.8S. Geotechnical failure of pipelines due to ground movement is addressed in Annex H and elsewhere in the Canadian standard CSA-Z662. Both of these standards allow flexibility in terms of geohazard assessment as part of pipeline integrity management. As a result of this flexibility, many systems for identifying, characterizing, analyzing and managing geohazards have been developed by operators and geotechnical engineering practitioners. The evolution of these systems, and general expectations regarding geohazard assessment, toward quantitative geohazard frequency assessment is a trend in recent pipeline hearings and regulatory filings in Canada. While this trend is intended to frame geohazard assessment in an objective and repeatable manner, partitioning the assessment into a series of conditional probability estimates, the reality is that there is always an element of subjectivity in assigning these conditional probabilities, requiring subject matter expertise and expert judgment to make informed and defensible decisions. Defining a specific risk context (typically loss of containment from a pipeline) and communicating uncertainty are important aspects of applying these types of systems. Adoption of these approaches for alternate risk contexts, such as worker safety during pipeline construction, is challenging in that the specific geohazards and threat scenarios considered for long-term pipeline integrity may or may not adequately represent all credible threats during pipeline construction. This paper explores the commonalities and differences in short- and long-term framing of geohazard assessment, and offers guidance for extending geohazard assessment for long-term pipeline integrity to other contexts such as construction safety.

Implementing a Geohazard Integrity Management Program: Statistics and Lessons Learned Over 15 Years

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex J. Baumgard ◽  
Tara L. Coultish ◽  
Gerry W. Ferris
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Proactive Approach ◽  
Oil Pipelines ◽  
Pipeline Networks ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Pipeline Failures ◽  
Program Challenges

Over the last 15 years, BGC Engineering Inc. has developed and implemented a geohazards Integrity Management Program (IMP) with 12 major pipeline operators (consisting of gas and oil pipelines and of both gathering and transmission systems). Over this time, the program has been applied to the assessment of approximately 13,500 individual hydrotechnical and geotechnical geohazard sites spanning approximately 63,000 km of operating pipelines in Canada and the USA. Hydrotechnical (watercourse) and geotechnical (slope) hazards are the primary types of geohazards that have directly contributed to pipeline failures in Canada. As with all IMPs, the core objectives of a geohazard management system are to ensure a proactive approach that is repeatable and defensible. In order to meet these objectives, the program allows for varying levels of intensity of inspection and a recommended timescale for completion of actions to manage the identified geohazards in accordance with the degree of hazard that the site poses to the pipeline. In this way, the sites are managed in a proactive manner while remaining flexible to accommodate the most current conditions at each site. This paper will provide a background to the key components of the program related specifically to existing operating pipeline systems, present pertinent statistics on the occurrence of various types of geohazards based on the large dataset of inspections, and discuss some of the lessons learned in the form of program results and program challenges from implementing a geohazard integrity management system for a dozen operators with different ages of systems, complexity of pipeline networks, and in varied geographic settings.

A Spatio-Temporal Water Mains Integrity Management Program for California

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sathya Geetha Ganesan ◽  
Diego Martínez García ◽  
Juneseok Lee ◽  
Jonathan Keck ◽  
Paul Yang
Keyword(s):  
Management Program ◽  
Water Mains ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Spatio Temporal
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