The pipeline detectives

IPLOCA is determined to stamp out pipeline corrosion through early detection and promoting a ‘prevention is better than cure’ mentality among its members. CIS met IPLOCA president Bruno de La Roussiére, to find out how the organisation is practising what it preaches.

“The more accurate results of online inspection, coupled with GPS technologies now make it easier to target the maintenance of the pipeline”

O&G. How does IPLOCA bring pipeline owners, engineers and contractors together to establish safety and planning procedures?
Bruno de La Roussiére. Safety is a high priority for IPLOCA members. For many years the association has required its members to confidentially submit their safety statistics for the previous year such that the aggregate numbers can be reviewed and provided to the membership. A Safety Award, sponsored by Chevron, is also offered by the association, and each year an increasing number of entries are submitted. This year’s award went to Bonatti in Italy for their entry ‘The Year of Living Safely’, detailing their safety approach to the Sicilian Gasline, Montalbano-Messina Tranche – one of the most challenging and critical in the Bonatti pipeline history.

BP currently sponsors the IPLOCA New Technology Award every alternate year, and Shell similarly sponsors the IPLOCA Environmental Award. In addition, operators are participating in IPLOCA’s Novel Construction Initiative, such that topics like contract negotiation and risk sharing can be addressed by operators and contractors working together.

O&G. What are the major challenges that the pipeline industry faces, particularly when it comes to construction work in the more inhospitable parts of the world?
BLR. Lack of qualified manpower continues to be a big issue. Engineers and qualified project managers are in high demand the world over.  To help alleviate this problem IPLOCA has established a training committee, chaired by Leonid Bokhanovskiy of Stroytransgaz, a member of its board of directors, to spearhead training communication and database development throughout the membership.  Member companies have contributed details of universities and specialised training institutions in their region and this information is being collected to be made available to the membership. The training committee met recently in Rome and is holding teleconferences to move the initiative ahead.

O&G. What has the industry learned from incidents like the spillage at Prudhoe Bay pipelines in 2006?
BLR. The industry is striving to prevent such accidents in future, analysing the risk of corrosion-causing bacteria in the fluid being transported, avoiding producing environments in the pipeline that may be conducive to the incubation of bacteria and reducing and monitoring build up of water in the line.

Along with the increased frequency of maintenance pigs and undergoing more inspections using smart pigs, operators are increasing the sensitivity of leak detection systems and employing overflight of the lines using infrared detectors. Furthermore, geo pig runs are used to evaluate geological risks.

O&G. What are the knock-on effects for the industry of ageing and poorly maintained pipelines?
BLR. As the infrastructure ages, the potential for failure with safety and environmental implications clearly increases, with potential for soil contamination due to pipeline contents leaking to the ground from small leaks and the possible need for additional booster stations because of increased pressure drop with the corrosion of the pipeline internal surfaces.

O&G. What is needed to improve vigilance when it comes to detecting and dealing with corrosion?
BLR. Some have suggested that legislation to mandate the intelligent pigging of pipelines at regular intervals with increased regularity with pipeline age and condition would be helpful, along with regular on-line inspection programmes, over line surveys and a proactive response to acting upon the results of inspection data. Regular assessment of pipelines should be made not only from the corrosion and coatings aspect but also from the perspective of ground use and land development over time. This is seen as particularly true in some countries where it needs to be mandated by the codes.

O&G. When it comes to corrosion, is it a case that prevention is the best cure, and what technologies are out there to make monitoring and maintenance easier?
BLR. The more accurate results of online inspection, coupled with GPS technologies now make it easier to target the maintenance of the pipeline – for example by targeting corroded sections of pipelines for replacement rather than entire pipelines.  Corrosion is a natural process and attempts to either prevent it or make allowance for its occurrence must be made if pipeline integrity is to be maintained. There are many proven methods of detecting pipeline corrosion. The continuous development of existing detection and repair methodologies should yield continuous improvement in the detection and repair of corroded elements. Prevention is the best cure but a lot of lines that have been installed over the years have experienced less than perfect operations, resulting in the design conditions being exceeded for both coatings and cp. Modern GIS-based technology can make a lot of the monitoring and recording easier.

About IPLOCA
In 1966, companies active in the international pipeline construction industry recognised that they had many common interests and challenges that could most effectively be addressed through the establishment of an industry association. That same year the then leaders of the industry met in Paris and established the International Pipeline Contractors Association. Originally established as a division of the US Pipeline Contractors Association, the International Pipeline Contractors Association became fully independent in 1976 after a significant increase in membership. In 1988, the association was extended to include those companies working offshore in the oil and gas industry and on 5 May 1989, the International Pipeline and Offshore Contractors Association (IPLOCA) was officially established. The Association's headquarters were later moved to Brussels, and then in 1992 to Gent, in Belgium. The Gent office was closed in June 2005, and the office was re-established in Geneva, Switzerland, where it remains today.

Key objectives of IPLOCA

1. To promote safety and to develop methods for the reduction and elimination of accidents and injury to contractor’s employees in the industry, and all those engaged in, or affected by, operations and pipeline work.
2. To promote, foster and develop the science and practice of constructing onshore and offshore pipelines, and associated works.
3. To promote the protection of the environment and contribute to social, cultural and environmental development.