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June 15, 2011

PRCI Hosts the 18th Biennial Joint Technical Meeting on Pipeline Research

The 18th Biennial Joint Technical Meeting (JTM) on Pipeline Research was held on May 16 – 20, 2011 in San Francisco, California. The meeting was hosted by Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI), and proved once more that the JTM represents a world-class forum for pipeline research excellence and addresses the challenges confronting the pipeline industry at a global level. This meeting reflects one of the most significant collaborations in pipeline research formed by the tripartite partnership of PRCI, the European Pipeline Research Group (EPRG), and the Research and Standards Committee of the Australian Pipeline Industry Association (APIA-RSC) who together have members operating on five continents.

This was the largest JTM ever with over 200 attendees from around the world. Over the week of workshops and technical sessions a number of the key issues facing the oil & natural gas pipeline industries both onshore and offshore were discussed and several research projects were put forward to address them.

“This meeting is a pivotal opportunity for the oil & gas industry internationally to establish an agenda to address the key challenges facing the industry. It is important that we work with our partners around the world develop the needed solutions,” stated Cliff Johnson, PRCI President. With the unfortunate failures of the last year in the U.S., it is critical that the oil & gas industry continues to look for the next generation of technical solutions. Gerhard Knauf, EPRG Secretary General, noted that, “Our partnership over the years, has allowed us to pull from the best and brightest minds in the industry to develop the solutions needed for the oil & gas pipeline industry.”

There were a number of key projects identified during the meeting covering a wide range of areas: Mechanical Damage; Offshore/Subsea Design and Integrity; Stress Corrosion Cracking Sizing and Assessment; Human Factors, Workforce Development and Knowledge Retention; Advanced Design and Materials; Girth Weld Properties, Performance and Assessment; Corrosion Protection, Assessment and Management; Pipeline Integrity; Line Pipe Properties and Testing; and a CO2 Pipelines Workshop.

“Pipelines are one of the safest modes of transportation, but there is more that we can do to ensure their safety and integrity. The JTM is the opportunity for the industry to continue working to find the needed solutions and this list of possible projects highlights the dedication that the industry has for continuous improvement,” explained Leigh Fletcher, APIA-RSC Chair.

The next JTM will be held in Sydney, Australia in 2013.

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