OPS Direct Assessment Workshop

1
OPS Direct Assessment Workshop

• OPS Direct Assessment Research and Development
  Projects
• James Merritt
• RD Program Manager,
• Office of Pipeline Safety
• james.merritt_at_RSPA.DOT.GOV
• November 4, 2003

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OPS GOAL

• OPS RD effort stimulates economic activity,
  creates job opportunities and strengthens the
  industrys competitive position in global
  markets.
• OPS will match one-for-one industrys RD
  contribution to collaborative research. This will
  stretch industrys research dollar and ensure OPS
  research priorities accurately reflect the
  sectors real needs. Speed up the process of
  transferring new technology into the private
  sector.

3
New Standards and RulesDriving Recognition of
RD Needs

• Need for Integrity Management Requirements
  Recognized
• New Assessment Technologies Available
• Ineffective Risk Data Integration Contributed to
  Major Incidents Accidents
• Development of Consensus Standards and Rules
  Highlighted Knowledge and Technology Gaps

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Examples of IdentifiedGaps

• Cost effective methods to Assess Pipes that
  cannot be Inspected using ILI
• Improved Leak Detection over a wide range of Leak
  Rates
• Ability to Real-Time Monitor Parameters affecting
  Pipe Integrity
• Ability to Integrate Risk Factor Data

5
Continuing RD Needsfor Direct Assessment

• Validate ECDA Techniques
• Validate Confirmatory Direct Assessment
• Validate Application of ECDA for Detection of
  Mechanical Damage
• Verify ICDA Consensus Standard
• Develop and Validate Wet-Gas ICDA Process
• Develop and Validate SCC DA Process

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Recent RD Projects Map
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OPS co-funded DA RDactivities

• Remote-Field Eddy Current to Inspection of
  Unpiggable Pipelines (87,500) SwRI
• Long-range Ultrasonic Method for Detection of
  Degradation in Buried, Unpiggable Pipelines
  (500,000) PetroChem Insp.
• ICDA of Gas Transmission, Gathering Storage
  Systems(260,165) -SwRI
• Improvements to ECDA Assessment Methodology by
  Incorporating Soils Data Managing the Integrity
  of Early Transmission Pipelines (297K) Battelle
  Corporation
• Develop high-amplitude guided wave for long range
  pipeline inspection (272,420) -SwRI

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Remote-Field Eddy Current toInspection of
Unpiggable Pipelines

• GOAL Demonstrate a pipeline inspection method
  that
• Is sensitive to pipe wall thickness loss
• Implemented into a ILI tool
• Small enough or partially collapse to allow
  passage through internal restrictions
• TASK
• Technology Assessment
• RFEC coil design
• Breadboard system
• RFEC evaluation

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Remote-Field Eddy Current toInspection of
UnpiggablePipelines
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Remote-Field Eddy Current toInspection of
UnpiggablePipelines