Pipeline Technology Conference 2008

topic: Risk-weighted based integrity management

author: A.C. Kabel
presenter: A.C. Kabel
organisation: Pipeline Control
country: The Netherlands

contents

Abstract: ......................................................................................................................2
Presentation at the Hannover Messe 2008..................................................................3
Introduction..............................................................................................................3
Controlling pipelines ................................................................................................3
Initial process ..........................................................................................................4
Pipeline control........................................................................................................5
Risk management ...................................................................................................6
Risk-weighted integrity ............................................................................................7
Finishing ..................................................................................................................9
Figure 1 .................................................................................................................10

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Pipeline Technology Conference 2008

Abstract:

The surveillance of the integrity of pipeline installations is the main task of the
pipeline manager. A pipeline installation has a shell function by which a medium can
be transported separated from the environment. The integrity is a value for safety,
usefulness and availability of a pipeline installation. The integrity also is the resultant
of a large number of influences coming from both the medium as well as the
environment of the pipeline installation. These influences are partly predictable and
therefore well controllable. Other influences however, have an unpredictable
character and for that reason are more difficult to control. This (un)predictable
controllability forms a certain degree of risk for the integrity.

It’s the pipeline managers task to control those risks for the pipeline integrity in an
effective way.
On the one hand this control happens by periodical surveillances and continuous
monitoring of processes and on the other hand by guarding activities near the
pipeline. A huge amount of all sorts of data proceeds from these control activities.
You can think of Cathodic Protection values, composition of the medium, third party
interferences, public authority plans, activities of landowners, ground composition,
condition of the pipeline coating and internal and external deterioration of the
pipeline. The surveillance of all these aspects usually takes place in different
departments and within these departments by different persons and in different ways
(by observation or acquisition of data). Because of the often vast length of a pipeline
the control is being done by several persons. Non of the persons involved has an
overall picture of the risks and surely not of the addition of risks, where risks
accumulate. Common control methods can therefore easily lead to inattention and
errors, consequently to a reduced integrity which can mean risks for safety,
usefulness and availability.

By (real-time) input of separate control data into a control system the addition of risks
can be executed continuously and automatically, the value of integrity of which can
be shown with a (warning)signal. This leads to an internal, external and total integrity
value which helps to take measures in a purposeful and efficient way. The application
also makes these risks visible on the pipeline itself which at the same time creates
understanding and insight of the causes of the risks, the locations with a higher risk
and the most efficient measures to be taken.

With this control system de management of risks is more purposeful and efficient and
less dependant from the attention of employees and therefore gives a strong pipeline
integrity prevention.

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Pipeline Technology Conference 2008

Presentation at the Hannover Messe 2008

April 23th, 2008

Introduction
The control of a pipeline is a very serious and responsible task for a pipeline owner.
Pipelines run from and to industrial areas. At the time pipelines are constructed we
take care that they don’t run too near to cities and living areas. But a pipeline has a
long life-time, most of them longer than the life-time of a human and during that
period cities expand.

Pipelines are a very efficient and safe method of transporting gasses and liquids.
Pipelines are buried and only at specific places they have signals and objects that
make them visible above the surface. We know there is a pipeline, but after
construction we have never seen it again. That’s wonderful the landowners and town-
planning committees say and they try to use the land without any restriction. That’s
our problem we say as pipeline controllers and we try to build-in the necessary
restrictions for land using.

Pipeline Control has pipelines in areas with many cities. At the time the pipelines
were built they were constructed in a special pipeline area with small villages. The
nearest distance to a village was more than 100 meters. But the villages became
cities, cities go together, the special pipeline area is being used for houses and the
regular distance to the houses is now 9 meters. Rerouting the pipeline is not an
option because there is no space any more. Improving the safety of the pipeline isn’t
an option either, because a pipeline for dangerous goods is safe, otherwise we are
not allowed to operate it.
The point is that the risks have changed and are different. Where people are living
they can cause many influences to the pipeline during day and night. For example
they organise a local party, build a tent in the right of way (because there is space
and it is flat), using tent pegs of more than 2 meters long and telling everybody who
lives in the neighbourhood about it, but not us. And another one, horse riding with
carriages through poles placed in the right of way on a Saturday. To secure the poles
against falling they have been set 1,5 meter in the ground. Everyone was invited but
they forgot, or maybe they did not know they had to invite us.
Those influences can mean risks for the safety of the pipeline and therefore for the
safety of the people living in the proximity of the pipeline.

Controlling pipelines
It is therefore that the integrity of a pipeline has to be controlled seriously and in the
busy cities more than seriously.
We control the right of way, handle “One call” information, check the local building
plans, check the pipeline coating, carry out inline inspections and maintenance and
do a lot more. All these activities are grouped in the Pipeline Integrity Management.
But the moment we dig up a pipeline we see that it is damaged without knowing it.
Sometimes only the coating, sometimes bends or both. Sometimes we are able to
find out who caused the damage but many times we are not.
Does that mean that we have a narrow escape daily? May be.

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We conclude that everything we do to take care of the safety of the pipeline, is not
enough anymore. We have to do more. Because tomorrow or a day after an
unknown influence will cause a serious accident.

Today there are many products in the market to improve our control results. Every
month new products come and the existing products become better.
For instance leak detection systems, remote helicopter inspection, threat and impact
scans, camera guarding, coating and stress monitoring, very intelligent inspection
tools, combination tools and all kinds of software to use and implement the results of
these products.
A standard periodical inspection of the pipeline route is not enough anymore and can
easily lead to failures by the control employees and leaves the possibility that the
inspection is not done at the right time.

In our opinion we have to improve in two directions. Using the latest technology to
detect risks and implement an integral system that combines all the products to a
pipeline control solution.

Initial process
It is good to look back at first and go to the basis of pipeline controlling, the initial
process. The initial process goes from prevention to correction or risk management
to pipeline damage.
Basically the start of the prevention is the instructive initiative. At this moment we
inform the local authorities and do the regular control activities. We may have to
improve by informing and guiding people and house owner unions in the proximity of
the pipeline how they have to act. It may be necessary to place information plates in
the right of way.
Secondly, the regular surveillance stays in place and we have to check if the
instructive initiatives have their results and give more information if necessary. At this
moment we have to implement the results from a pipeline control solution. It is the
last chance in the prevention section. Later in the process it becomes a corrective
action and cannot prevent more risks or damages.
The corrective part is at first that we have to take more actions in supervising the
activities in and near by the right of way. We have to be more in the field and have to
install systems that detect not allowed activities and make rapid actions possible. We
also have to carry out more pipeline inspections. At this section we have to learn
from the necessary actions and implement them in the pipeline control solution for
improving the prevention.
Last but not least we have to improve our 24/7 system in case of an emergency. The
risk of harming humans in case of an emergency is higher than before, caused by the
location of the houses near the pipeline.

The initial process also gives costs separation. In the prevention part we are able to
regulate and plan our activities. In the correction part the outside world decides when
we have to act and where we have to be.
So there will be a breakeven point between the investments for prevention and the
costs for correction. At this moment it seems that the correction costs will become
more and more in the future, so we put our goals to the improvement of the
prevention.

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Part of this all will still be the Risk Based Inspection, which is: being at the right time
at the right place. But that is not so easy. Mostly the inspectors don’t have all the
necessary information in the field and it is very difficult to combine all the data from
the pipeline control system products to local information and to use it for the
prevention activities. That makes an integral control system solution necessary to
handle all the data and make it local information.

We indicate four major pipeline-control items:

- activities around
- natural influences around
- integrity of the pipeline and the state of its objects
- transported products
All these control items have their own origin and impact. They all need specific
preventive, analysing and corrective solutions. In our company we have specialist
task groups for all these control items. The results of their activities are available for
all groups. But a possible impact on the pipeline will only have local effect, handled
by one group, the survey-group. Therefore the survey-group needs all the fragmental
data presented as information that can be used in the prevention section of the initial
process.

It seems so easy. Just collect the data and make it accessable for the route
surveyors. Unfortunately it is not so simple. Each data item is different, has a
different dimension, is not aligned, has a different risk category and can be of more
or less influence on the pipeline integrity. And the data items can have impact on
each other and together can be of a stronger impact.
In our opinion it is necessary to summarise weighted aligned data items to conclude
the possible local effect and implement it in the prevention section. For that result we
not only need products but also a control system solution.

Pipeline control
At fist I would like to tell you in a few words what Pipeline Control does in relation to
pipelines.
Pipeline Control has been set up to control and maintain pipelines for pipeline owners
with the aim of a safe and secure pipeline infrastructure that leads to a maximum
performance. “Your assets, our concern” is our statement. We will take care of the
pipeline installation and the pipeline owner can concentrate on the exploitation,
transporting products. We do our job according to a Service Level Agreement.

We control and inspect pipeline installations and manage all necessary actions to be
taken. And with all we mean all. We mention ordering and supervising mechanical
contractors and engineers, set up bid documents and procedures, public licenses
and private agreements, handling insurance matters, legal procedures and
recovering losses.
Our system allows us to work with and to handle all serious local partners. The result
is that we can keep the costs at a minimum with a maximum of availability and
performance.

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Risk management
A risk is a prospective item with an uncertain outcome. Risk is the product of a
probability and a potential impact. The aim of pipeline controlling is to manage the
risk exposure to an acceptable level in a cost-effective way.
The probability and the potential impact are different for each risk item. Risk items
can reinforce each other. A coating defect can at a moment be more serious when
the roots of a tree at that place have been growing in the coating and the tree dies.
The probability of external corrosion rises.

Risks have an owner. The pipeline controller is the risk owner and is responsible that
the risks are properly managed. Believe me, the pipeline controller does not damage
the pipeline, that is always an other one, the originator of the damage. It is not of any
importance and many times there is no known relationship between the risk owner
and the impact originator. The pipeline is buried and the originator has no idea that
he can harm a pipeline when he installs a tent peg. At that moment the relationship is
known. The originator is now accountable for the impact and the pipeline controller is
accountable for a proper risk management.

In the risk assessment a variety of aspects are important, for example: third party
interference, coating condition, Cathodic Protection, soil conditions, land exploitation,
public and governmental activities, maintenance, inline inspection, operations and
product influence and deflection.
All these aspects are risks for the integrity of a pipeline installation and have to be
incorporated in the inspection and control operations.
We are able to address an internal and external integrity. Summarised it makes a
total integrity of the pipeline system.

However big the impact may be, the normal risk responses are in place:
a. prevention, realising the impact can not happen by choosing an other option;
b. reduction, the probability and/or the impact is (very) low;
c. transfer, passing to a third party for rest risks;
d. acceptance, tolerate rest risks;
e. contingency, actions tot reduce the impact.
In other words a risk will always be and stay a risk and needs a sufficient preventive
action. Important is to act on the risk prevention as early as possible in the control
process. Later in the process there is less time, the costs are increasing and more
individuals are involved.

Risk management can only take place in the preventive section. In the corrective
section there is no risk probability less, the impact has taken place. It is not a risk any
more, contingency actions are in place.
Therefore we have to address pipeline control products in two sections, a preventive
and a corrective. Preventive products are installed to minimise the risks probability
and corrective products are installed to know that an impact has happened or to
reduce (the consequences of) an impact.
The preventive products are part of a control system solution, the corrective products
are part of the emergency organisation. Both are very important. The investment in
the preventive section improves the pipeline system and control management. The
investment in the corrective section cost money and does not improve the pipeline
system.

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Examples of preventive products are: One-call supervision, local information

initiatives, inline inspections, coating inspections, route survey, temperature, water
and stress detection and threat detection.
Examples of corrective products are: emergency organisation, camera guarding,
impact detection, leak detection and landslide detection.

Risk-weighted integrity
We put the most of our investments and efforts in the preventive section based on
the risk assessment.
All the data we collect is stored in a database. The Pipeline Integrity application
retrieves the data, transfers it into weighted pipeline information and puts it for a
chosen selection pipeline section on the screen.

It looks like you see on the screen-print (figure 1)of the pipeline risk information, part
of our Pipeline Integrity Management system.
The screen is divided into three windows. At the top window the general pipeline
information is being presented. You can see a length of 100 meters with welds, wall
thickness and integrity results, internal, external en total. The integrity value is a
weighted summation of the pipeline control data and gives accurate information.
Green is sufficient, yellow says that it is time to analyse, red means that there is a
serious problem and action has to be taken immediately.

In the second window the internal en external metal loss is presented clockwise and
also the coating defects. The red and blue points are the results of the latest inline
inspection. The vertical lines present coating defects which have been detected
during a Close Interval Potential Survey.

The bottom window presents detailed information of the coating included values
about the coating condition, acidity of the soil, incidents with detailed information,
dimensions of the internal and external metal loss, Cathodic Protection remarks,
One-call-information, microbiological and material defects, research information,
maintenance remarks, local town-planning information, operations information and
route remarks.

The integrity lines at the top window are a result of the weighted risk summation. We
are well aware that the result is arbitrary, but in this way we combine the different
risks and make it available during the pipeline controlling.
The internal and external integrity lines are a maintenance marker and give a signal
of the location where we have to pay more attention. The external and total integrity
lines give information for the route surveyor about the local condition of the pipeline.
He can decide locally if certain activities are allowed.

All the data-items are related to a risk-item and to a risk factor. The risk factor is a
value of the influence of the risk-item to the integrity of the pipeline and the influence
on other risk-items.
Related to the example given before, if we detect a coating defect at the same
location as we detected the outside corrosion, the coating defect could have more
influence to the external corrosion. In the risk weighting the effect is bigger than only

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outside corrosion or only a coating defect. You will see the result in the external
integrity line as a notification to pay attention.
When we detect a dead tree at the same location the influence will be more and
visible in the external integrity line.
The moment the CP-protection falls, the external integrity line becomes yellow or
even red, depending on the depth of the corrosion and the value of the coating
defect.
The risk-weighted integrity is related to the values of the defects of the various
inspection and control systems on the pipeline. The integrity lines give information
based on history (inline and coating inspection) and real time data (CP, impact or
threat detection and route survey remarks).

During the control activities, the surveyors but also the specialist groups fill in their
findings and remarks by using a special form or download mass data.
During the route inspections the surveyors fill in their remarks and the system zooms
into the specific pipeline location.
The surveyor can check whether he filled in correctly and at the same time he sees
the local integrity and what has been remarked before.
It gives him all the relevant information there is. He may require more detailed
information, but he now knows it is available. He knows the risks and his further
actions will be risk based.

It costs energy and time to download all the information in the system. But that is only
once for the past and not for the future and only for relevant items. The benefit is that
it has to be done once and afterwards a document will never have to be searched
again without the risk that the information will be overlooked completely.
The pipeline integrity application makes the control task independent of the route
surveyor; they are able to act separately consistent to third parties and to the local
authorities.

Local authorities now a days ask more information for the external safety, which is
their responsibility. In the last years some major accidents within pipeline systems
happened world wide, causing many casualties. Pipelines that are near to or in cities
ask for more attention then the ones in the simple fields. In pipeline controlling we
have to provide the necessary information en reorganise our systems. Times are
changed, the authorities ask for information and expect it in a short time. With the
risk-weighted integrity management we can provide that information quickly.

By adding the data from pipeline control preventive products we are able to address
the locations where the most riskfull activities take place or where the pipeline is
exposed to earth movements or temperature influences. We are able to implement
the weighted data in the preventive program.
This results in more frequent route survey, special rules or precautions with the One-
call, local camera surveillance and local information sessions.

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Finishing
The benefits of the risk-weighted based integrity management is that the effort is
placed in the prevention of controlling pipeline installations and the survey activities
are independent of the route surveyor.
The weighted data of the involved control groups is presented as integrity information
for route survey and maintenance.

Pipeline Controlling becomes more and more extensive. Special tools and
technology are needed which is only cost-effective when controlling longer pipeline
lengths.
Cities ask for detailed information about the pipeline integrity of the many pipelines in
their proximity. And at the same time cities more and more develop activities that are
a risk for the pipeline integrity. Information conflicts and incidents are just around the
corner. We are able to quickly provide the necessary information with the risk-
weighted based integrity management.

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Figure 1

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