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January 14, 2011
PRCI 2011 Research Program Kicks Off
PRCI has already begun the 2011 Research Program and we would like to thank the volunteer leaders for their hard work and dedication. Below is the list of the 2011 Technical Committee leadership. Committee members are a crucial part of PRCI. It is a partnership between members and staff that produces our industry defining research for over 50 years.
Compressor & Pump Station
Chair: Bill Couch, El Paso
Vice-Chair: Ralph Dickau, Enbridge
Corrosion
Chair: Albert van Roodselaar, Chevron
Vice-Chair: Laurie Perry, SoCalGas
Vice-Chair: Robert Worthingham, TransCanada
Design, Materials & Construction
Chair: Tom Zimmerman, Enbridge
Vice-Chair: Arti Bhatia, Alliance
Vice-Chair: Rick Gailing, SoCalGas
Vice-Chair: David Horsley, BP
Measurement
Chair: Jim Witte, El Paso
Vice-Chair: Craig Chester, Williams
Operations & Integrity
Chair: Mures Zarea, GDF Suez
Vice-Chair: John O’Brien, Chevron
Underground Storage
Chair: Larry Kennedy, El Paso
Vice-Chair: Tim Maddox, NiSource
PRCI’s 2011 Program addresses a spectrum of research needs and opportunities covering nearly every aspect of pipeline operations.
The Facilities Technical Committees
The Compressor and Pump Station Technical Committee met October 19-21 in Seattle, WA. The meeting provided technical updates on all of the Committee’s ongoing projects, and project teams were formed for the newly-approved 2011 projects. Final project presentations on NOx Sensor Field Validation, Reciprocating Engine Cooling Systems, and the field validation of a first-principles Gas Turbine PEMS model were provided. Within the newly-implemented CAPSTC planning cycle, this meeting focused largely on existing projects, with separate discussions on implementing the objectives of the 2011 program. Two new programs were approved for 2011, continuing the CAPSTC practice of organizing reciprocating engine work into a program structure comprised of complementary and interrelated projects. Discussions at and subsequent to the meeting prioritized the items within each program, Compressor Engine Air Toxics Compliance, and Compliant, Optimized, Reliable and Efficient (CORE) Engine, to fit the final available budgets. The February meeting will formally kick-off the 2012 planning process. PRCI Members can view the meeting presentations here.
The Measurement Technical Committee met on October 12-14 in Banff, Alberta. The meeting reviewed and staffed the newly funded 2011 measurement projects, and provided members with final presentations on the Effect of Methanol on Gas Chromatographs, and Gas Sampling at Supercritical Conditions. Continuing expansion and refinement of the now fully operational Flow Measurement Research Library was reviewed, with additional organizations providing reference material to this database. It can be accessed at www.prci.org/library. The Measurement program was quite successful in the 2011 balloting, and eight new projects and one continuation project will be starting. PRCI Members can view the meeting presentations here.
The Underground Storage Technical Committee met September 22nd in Kansas City, MO. This was in conjunction with the final meeting of the DOE Gas Storage Steering Committee, which did not receive continuing funding from DOE at the end of its five year term. A set of projects that were initiated with DOE support will be continued under the PRCI program in 2011. These include an Alternative Mechanical Integrity Test for gas salt caverns and Salt Core Dilation Testing Methods. PRCI Members can view the meeting presentations here. The showcase project for 2011 will be a rigorous test of improved brine string stiffeners that are expected to allow significant increases in allowable fluid velocity, and generally greater brine string integrity.
The Pipeline Technical Committees
The Pipeline Technical Committees (TC) met in October 19-21, 2010 in Montreal, QB Canada. The goal of the meetings was to plan for the timely and efficient starts of the forty five pipeline research projects approved for 2011 funding by the Board at its September meeting. The three pipeline technical committees each focus on one of the three main areas of interest to our membership: Design Materials & Construction, Operations & Integrity and Corrosion. At the meetings, the Technical Committees confirmed team leader assignments and outlined contract procurement strategies for the projects. In addition, scopes of work for each new project were discussed or finalized, scopes for continuing projects were confirmed for the year ahead, and a schedule to achieve contract award was established for each project. A key new development this year in the pipeline arena is the an increasing emphasis on research for off-shore pipelines reflecting the priorities of our operating company members in the areas of sub-sea design, analysis, assessment and inspection. PRCI Members can view the meeting presentations here. Technical committee specific highlights are presented by TC below.
The Corrosion Technical Committee conducted a review of all ongoing research projects in its three primary areas of emphasis: External Corrosion, Internal Corrosion and Stress Corrosion Cracking. and planned for the efficient starts of the recently funded 2011 research projects. The committee also planned a Corrosion Roadmap Workshop event in early 2011 to review the status of the current plan and realign the short-term goals based on industry needs coupled with the gaps identified in recent incidents. Following the meeting, the group successfully hosted a Reliability-Based Pipeline Management Workshop to address a broad range of topics related to Reliability-based design, assessment, and management for operating pipelines.
The Design Materials and Construction Technical Committee (DMC) conducted a review of all ongoing projects as well as planning for the start-up of new work. Highlights included increasing research in the CO2 transport arena. One key project ALT-1-2 which was begun as PRCI JIP last spring and continues with increased funding to determine experimentally the decompression wave speed in predominantly CO2 mixtures with N2, O2, CO and H2 impurities, from a range of initial pressures and temperatures. Such impurities are typical of carbon capture streams from industrial sites that must be transported by pipeline for sequestration or enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects. The increased emphasis on CO2 transport was also reflected in a new project (ALT-1-3) to assure the suitability of valve seals for CO2 service applications. In the materials area, research expanded in advanced pipeline repair methods with a particular emphasis of applications of composite materials. The development of a viable comprehensive suite of strain based design methods for pipeline design and assessment remains a high research priority. The DMC TC reviewed ongoing work in this area and initiated research on compressive strain which is a key component of this new design capability.
The Operations & Integrity Technical Committee (O&I) completed a comprehensive review of its projects and programs, initially focusing on the new projects approved on the 2011 ballot (17 projects overall) followed by a complete analysis and status report on all projects and programs that are currently being managed under the O&I TC. Several of the projects approved for 2011 are continuations of ongoing research projects, and many others are complimentary to prior work and further develop the research programs that are primary focus areas for the O&I TC, including Mechanical Damage Inspection and Prevention, NDE technology development and validation for pipeline inspection, leak detection, and Facility Integrity. One significant outcome of the technical exchange among the TC members was the development of a new project for a critical analysis and peer review of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report regarding the Carmichael, MS pipeline incident (NTSB Report PAR 09-01). The project was developed to provide an independent Subject Matter Expert review of the NTSB report findings and recommendations and prepare a gap analysis report. PRCI will use the gap analysis report to develop its research roadmap and associated program for ERW/ long seam pipe.
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