TDC
Collection and management of pipeline defect samples from around the world and performing technology testing services to advance the integrity of the pipeline industry.
TDC ADVISORY GROUP
Chair: John Haldiman, Plains All American
Nick Homan, Marathon
Jennifer Klementis, TC Energy
Sean Keane, Enbridge
Aaron Schwing, Flint Hills Resources
The research labs were used 105 times within the year.
Pull testing occurred on 58 different occasions.
The flow loop was utilized 6 times.
Pipe samples were requested 14 times.
Conference rooms were booked for 66 different occasions.
Requests for tours continued to increase, totaling 37 visits.
Having a single location able to accumulate former in-service pipe materials with real-world pipeline features/flaws is invaluable to PRCI’s R&D Program and the industry, and provides a central point for hosting industry-sponsored training and workshops.
The TDC provides the industry with an independent third-party site to fully understand the capabilities of current tools and to guide the development of the new technologies needed to push towards that goal.
Located across eight acres in Houston, Texas, the TDC includes a five-acre state-of-the-art pull test facility, liquid loop facility, and an over 20,000 sq. ft. workshop and test facility with an additional 9,000 sq. ft. of office and meeting space.
PRCI maintains a library of over 1,600 samples of pipe containing natural and manufactured defects for R&D. Sample sizes range from coupons to full joints of pipe in a variety of diameters. Pipes strings up to 250-feet long can be constructed to your specifications and the pull test facility employs a winch capable of consistent velocities from 1 to 11 mph while pulling over 40,000 lbs.
The Technology Development Center (TDC) is a major commitment by the energy pipeline industry to address the key issues that it faces to ensure the safety of the national and international pipeline system.
During REX2023 week, PRCI and members of our Executive Board hosted Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Deputy Administrator, Tristan Brown, Representative Fletcher (TX-07) and Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) at the Technology Development Center (TDC) for a tour and discussion on the importance of critical research to ensure pipeline integrity and reduce the environmental footprint of the pipeline network.
