Page 51 - Pipeline Pigging Technology

Pipeline Pigging Technology

During 1990, Congress held hearings on offshore pipeline navigational
hazards and passed HR 4888, a bill requiring the OPS to establish regulations
that will require an initial inspection for cover of gas and hazardous liquid
pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico from the shoreline to the 15ft depth. Based on
the findings of the study, the OPS is also directed to develop standards that will
require the pipeline operators to report pipeline facilities that are hazardous
to navigation, the marking of such hazards, and establish a mandatory,
systematic, and where appropriate, periodic inspection programme.
This legislation involves an estimated 1400 miles of pipeline, or about 10%
of the total pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico. The legislation will eventually have
an impact on all gas and hazardous liquid pipelines in all navigable waters of
the US, particularly those in populated and environmentally-sensitive areas.
Congressional committees are now drafting legislation for 1991 which will
be included in the "Pipeline Safety Reauthorization Act of 1991". It is felt that
this legislation will, in addition to underwater and offshore pipelines, include
such areas as:

(a) Environmentally-sensitive and high-density populated areas -
require the DOT to identify all pipelines that are at river crossings,
located in environmentally-sensitive areas, located in wetlands, or
located in high-density population areas.

(b) Smart pigs - require pipeline operators to inspect with smart pigs all
lines that have been identified in (a) above. If the pipeline will not
accept a pig, then the operators will have to modify the pipeline and
run the pig under another set of rules. Also, there may be govern-
ment funding to assist in the development of a smart pig capable of
detecting potential longitudinal seam failures in ERW pipe.

(c) Environmental protection - establish an additional objective of the
Pipeline Safety Acts to protect the environment. This could include
increasing the membership of the Technical Pipeline Safety Stand-
ards Committees to include representatives from the environmental
community.

(d) Enforcement activities - increase the requirements and staff of OPS
to provide a more comprehensive inspection and enforcement
programme.

(e) Operator training - mandate requirements for programmes to train
all pipeline operators/dispatchers.

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