Methodology for Threat Assessment and Mitigation Planning for Pipeline Integrity
Graham Adams · 2016
Abstract Engineering Assessments represent one of the most holistic and comprehensive evaluations of a pipeline’s integrity and maintenance history. As per regulations and industry standards, engineering assessments are required to support operational changes to pipelines, including reactivation of a discontinued pipeline, significant increases to operating pressure, or changes in service fluid. In addition, engineering assessments are often included in operational audits – both internal and external – to evaluate the effectiveness of a pipeline’s integrity management program and can provide a basis for planning future inspection and risk mitigation activities. When properly executed, an engineering assessment will validate existing threat and hazard mitigation and will also identify unmanaged threats and areas where little information exists, facilitating improvement to integrity management. Engineering assessments are complex, multidisciplinary reports that require careful planning to ensure that all potential threats to a pipeline’s integrity have been considered and assessed in accordance with industry standards and requirements. This paper describes an in-depth methodology for carrying out engineering assessments on pipelines. It will outline industry best-practices for evaluating threats and provide criteria for planning future integrity management activities based on the assessment’s findings. Several case studies are also presented to highlight principles covered.