Research

Technical Committees

PRCI plans and develops research projects through Technical Committees (TCs). These committees:

• are comprised of technical and operations experts from member companies
• are critical in developing and managing PRCI’s research objectives
• assure collaboration in identifying gaps in research and avoiding duplication

There are three Technical Committees for Pipelines and three for Facilities.

Pipeline Committees

Corrosion

• Prevention, mitigation, evaluation, and repair of corrosion damage
• Includes both conventional and stress corrosion cracking (SCC)

Design, Materials & Construction

• Nondestructive Testing (NDT): radiography, UT, MPT for new construction and materials qualification
• Pipe repairs
• Design practices and methodology for onshore, arctic and offshore pipelines, including RBDA, strain-based design, offshore design standard updates, etc.
• Pipeline structural integrity
• Evaluation and characterization of weather and outside forces with respect to fit for purpose design and structural integrity issues
• Material behaviour and performance, including high strength pipe, fracture control, specification protocol
• Materials properties and responses to internal and external loads and other conditions such as damage; includes both conventional and new materials
• Welding process and procedure; Welding materials properties and conditions under which competent welds can be made
• Girth welding inspection technologies and weld defect assessment
• Construction technologies and practices, including HDD, AIV, etc.
• Mechanical damage assessment

Operations & Integrity

• Oversees the Integrity Management Plan, which includes surveillance, threat analysis and prevention, community outreach, assessment of integrity and reliability; ROW protection
• Nondestructive Testing (NDT): in-line inspections (ILI) and diagnostics
• People related — Human factors
• Terrain related — topography, mapping, survey, geology and soils, ditching, ground movements, subsidence
• Flow efficiencies; fluid and thermodynamic properties of the product; product quality
• Surveillance, assessment and damage prevention with respect to weather and outside forces
• Pipeline facilities integrity (excluding engine reliability and integrity)

Facilities Committees

Compressor & Pump Station

• Mechanical and controls — design, operation, maintenance
• Emissions
• Related equipment

Measurement

• Gas and liquid measurement equipment and accuracy
• Gas and liquid quality
• Regulation and control
• Automation, SCADA

Underground Storage

• Design of new facilities
• Efficient operations and maintenance of existing facilities