Life Prediction of Crude Oil Pipeline to Mitigate Leakages: A Case Study of an NPDC Major Pipeline in OML30, Nigeria

Pipeline leak or failure is a dreaded event in the oil and gas industries. Top events such as catastrophes and multiple fatalities have occurred in the past due to pipeline leak or failure especially when loss of contents was met with fire incidents. It is therefore imperative that the causes of pipeline failure are tackled to prevent or mitigate leak incidents. This is expedient to curb the menace that goes with leak incidents, such as destruction of the environment and ecosystem; loss of assets, finance, lives and property; dangers to workers and personnel, production downtime, litigation and dent to company’s reputation. This work focuses on the investigation of the actual cause of sudden pipeline failures and frequent pipeline leaks that often result to sectional pipeline replacement before the expiration of their anticipated life cycle in OML30 oil and gas field. The pipeline material selected, the standard of the minimum wall thickness of the material, the corrosive nature of the pipeline content and the observed internal corrosion rate were probed. An analysis of the rate of thinning and diminution of the internal wall of the pipeline by monitoring the interior rate of corrosion was used to forecast the remaining life of a crude oil pipeline and predict the life expectancy of a newly replaced or installed pipeline or installed pipeline.

Closure of major pipeline threatens fuel shortages

Headline UNITED STATES: Pipeline disruption

Automation of emergency response management group operation at major pipeline facilities

The efficiency of actions of emergency response personnel at major pipeline facilities is a key factor in minimizing accident consequences. In this paper the authors analyze command post exercises aimed at preparing for emergency responses (oil and petroleum products spill) with personnel working at Transneft enterprises. Shortcomings in organizing the operation of emergency response management groups have been identified. The main ones are as follows: lack of proper interaction and the necessary concurrence of actions of management group representatives; no algorithm for preparing reports and hence the failure to meet deadlines for submitting such reports to regulatory authorities. To some extent, these deficiencies have been minimized through the development and implementation of emergency reporting logs in routine practices of management groups. However, many processes have still been highly dependent on the human factor leading to errors, and the emergence and spread of false and contradictory information in the course of emergency response activities. An appropriate automated information system has been designed in order to minimize the effect of the human factor in organizing the work of emergency response management groups. The article presents its model, describing the algorithm of its operation and functionality. The system was introduced into production at Transneft Far East, LLC and was highly effective in terms of quality of document processing, optimizing time spent on report completion and submission, organizing data retrieval, and monitoring emergency response actions. The application of the developed information system has significantly reduced the number of demerits related to organizing the work of emergency response management groups. The system is unique in Russia: it can be used in real-life emergencies or for training personnel to act using the system’s training mode.

EU gas demand faces long-term constraints

Subject EU gas demand. Significance In 2015, EU natural gas demand rose for the first time in five years. However, the COP21 Paris climate change agreement is likely to add momentum to structural shifts in power generation, which are limiting demand growth. This may raise doubts over the efficacy of new gas pipeline projects. Impacts The EU's gas import gap is expected to rise. However, the apparent peaking of overall demand will diminish importers' willingness to commit to major pipeline projects. Projects potentially affected could include Nord Stream 2 or the Trans-Anatolian pipeline. Gas's difficulties provide a potential opening for other technologies that offer dispatch flexibility.

Environmental Permitting of British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission Regulated Pipelines: Lessons From the Trenches

There are many projects proposed to transport oil and gas resources to British Columbia’s (BC’s) west coast. BC has multiple major pipeline transmission systems (e.g., Trans Mountain pipeline, Spectra Energy and Pacific Northern Gas), and at least six major oil and gas pipelines are planned for construction over the next decade [1]. Large pipeline projects like these that span hundreds of kilometres can involve multiple jurisdictions (federal, provincial or joint) and require considerable regulatory planning. Once a pipeline project is approved through an environmental assessment (EA) process, it must still undergo rigorous environmental review as part of regulatory permitting. This paper provides an overview of oil and gas environmental regulatory processes in BC, with a focus on the role and process of the BC Oil and Gas Commission (BC OGC) as it pertains to environmental permitting requirements (i.e., legislation and regulation) for pipeline projects. Current regulatory application and review processes have been developed for small projects. This creates several unique considerations for major pipeline project applications. Among these is how best to coordinate the permit applications required for environmental management and protection of the diverse resource features of interest to BC regulatory agencies (e.g., culturally modified trees, riparian management areas, wildlife tree retention areas and old growth management areas). This paper also highlights the need for an integrated multidisciplinary approach and discusses lessons learned related to strategic planning of permit applications. We provide examples of how collaboration among the proponent’s teams and multiple consultant teams is necessary to develop effective regulatory strategies and obtain timely approvals.