SRP: Geohazard management
The SRP has been proposed in response to the expected increase in the frequency of extreme climatic events, such as atmospheric rivers, that are destined to increase the exposure to hydrotechnical events. Hydrotechnical hazards are a subset of geohazards (natural hazards) related to water crossings that lead to exposure of buried pipelines and potential failure due to unexpected forces on an exposed pipeline. The risk is heightened during extreme events such as hurricanes, tropical storms and other precipitation events that can lead to floods or large hydrodynamic forces.
Remediation at water crossings costs significantly higher than other types of remediation such as recoating, sleeving or cut-out. There are significant economic benefits in reducing the number of mitigations and selection of effective mitigation methods for water crossings.
The outcomes of this SRP is to field validate river-crossing monitoring technologies that inform accurate assessment of threats and threat interaction to pipeline integrity and develop guidelines for effective mitigation options. Prioritization and effective remediation through improved assessment and monitoring would lead to significant economic benefits. Remediation cost savings of $1 million per crossing would result in $100 million savings over each 1000 kms of pipelines.
outcomes & value to industry
industry improvement
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SRP ROADMAP INTENDS TO ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING GAPS:
Geotechnical threats near water crossings following an extreme hydrotechnical event (either precipitation or flood events), and the interaction between the hazards.
Technologies for remote and continuous monitoring of the water crossings and pipeline condition to enable reinstatement of operations after an extreme event.
Effectiveness of the temporary and permanent remediation options at water crossings.
• SRP has kicked-off the steering committee meetings and prepared to issue RFPs for the projects to be initiated in 2024.
• Project roadmap and developments are shared at PHMSA R&D Forum for Threat Prevention and impacts of climate change for coordination of funding research to address geohazards.
CURRENT RESULTS
Leadership
Smitha Koduru, Enbridge Pipelines Inc. and Enbridge Energy Partners LP
The Geohazard Management SRP has been partially in response to the regulatory interest, such as the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) recent regulation for gas transmission pipeline inspection following an extreme event, and funding announcements around technology developments that address regulatory and oversight drivers. Lack of industry-driven research could drive regulatory regime to impose overly conservative interpretation of thresholds for response to extreme events, require monitoring methods with inconsistent outcomes or mitigation methods that may be resource-intensive without corresponding increase in safety or optimized with other integrity management actions.
Sharing of this SRP initiative at PRCI to specifically address the requirements of climate change impacts on pipelines at PHMSA R&D Forum has indicated serious industry interest in tackling this threat: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/FilGet.mtg?fil=1462
The three words to best describe this past year will be collaboration, collaboration and collaboration. The SRP project team has collaborated across TCs and stakeholders to develop a research roadmap that is practical and important for managing extreme event threats and continues this approach in project planning and identifying collaboration partners at State DOTs, U.S Army Corps, EPA and other research and government bodies where the technologies would be used and impactful.
