News & Notes from PRCI
In This Issue
PRCI Has Moved!
PRCI Responds to PHMSA BAA for Pipeline R&D
Technical
Committees Meet to Kickoff the 2010 Research Program
PRCI and NACE Sign a Memorandum of Understanding
Program
& Project Updates
ALT-1-1
CO2 Transmission and Storage - Research Plan Development
(read
more...)
CPS-9-1
Compressor and Pump Station Incidents and Technology Gaps
(read
more...)
MD-4-5
Final Report Completed: Acoustic Source Level & Signature Measurement
of Pipeline Scratches & Gouges
(read
more...)
Measurement
Ultrasonic Meter Reliability Program
(read
more...)
Research
on Reliability-Based Integrity Management Continues with Industry Workshop
on Validation and Bench-Marking of Guidelines
(read more...)
Upcoming Events
NACE
International: PIMS: Investigating the 80% Rule
(read
more...)
January
25-27 , 2010
Houston, Texas
Compressor
and Pump Station Technical Committee Meeting
January
26-28 , 2010
Deerfield Beach, Florida - Hoerbiger
Measurement
Technical Committee Meeting
February
2-3, 2010
Houston, Texas - ConocoPhillips
Pipeline
Program Research Exchange Meeting
(read
more...)
February
9-11, 2010
Atlanta, Georgia - Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center
Executive
Committee Meeting
March
7 , 2010
Marina del Rey, California - The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey
Board
of Directors Meeting
March
8-9 , 2010
Marina del Rey, California - The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey
Measurement
Technical Committee Meeting
April
14-15 , 2010
Henderson, Nevada - TBD
(Click
here to see more Upcoming Events)
Contact Us
Pipeline Research Council International, Inc.
3141 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 525
Falls Church, Virginia 22042 USA
(703) 205-1600 phone
(703) 205-1607 fax
www.prci.org
-info@prci.org
Check out "The PRCI
Story!"
Recent
Final Reports
A
Review of Methods for Assessing the Remaining Strength of Corroded Pipelines
(PR-273-0323) (Member
Link)
Assessment
of Long-term Integrity of Wrinkled Pipeline Segments (ENV-3) (Member
Link)
Compressor
and Pump Station Incidents and Technology Gaps -Phase II (CPS-9-1) (Member
Link)
Guidelines for Reliability-Based Pipeline Integrity Methods – Phase
II (EC-1-3) (Member
Link)
Increase
the Efficient Operating Range of Centrifugal Pumps - Phase III (CPS-7-1)
(Member
Link)
Measuring
the effectiveness of Current ROW Monitoring Techniques/Practices (ROW-2-1)
(Member
Link)
Revised
Analysis of Orifice Meter Expansion Factor Data (MEAS-14-1) (Member
Link)
(Public
Link)
Small Leak Detection in Liquid Pipelines – External Leak Detection
Evaluation and Development (PL-1-1) (Member
Link)
Stress Corrosion Cracking in Areas of Local Deformation (SCC-2-5) (Member
Link)
PRCI Has Moved!
Please
update your records. The new contact information is effective immediately!
Pipeline
Research Council International, Inc.
3141 Fairview Park Drive
Suite 525
Falls Church, VA 22042
United States of America
Phone: (703) 205-1600
Fax: (703) 205-1607
PRCI Responds to PHMSA Broad Agency Announcement for Pipeline R&D
In coordination with our member companies and research partners, PRCI assisted in the development and supported 12 white papers in response to PHMSA's recently issued Broad Agency Announcement (BAA, DTPH56-10-BAA-000001). The BAA requested white papers to address the key research programs and topic areas that were identified during the PHMSA-sponsored Joint Industry-Government R&D forum, which was held June 2009 in Crystal City, VA. As a key contributor to the R&D Forum, many of the research topic areas identified in the BAA are consistent with PRCI's research programs and roadmaps. The majority of the white papers supported by PRCI pertain to inspection and non destructive evaluation technology R&D. The open period for submitting white papers in response to the BAA closed on January 11, 2010. PHMSA will request full proposals for selected white papers based on a comprehensive review of all submittals received. The white paper review period is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2010.
Technical Committees Meet to Kickoff the 2010 Research Program
The
Pipeline Technical Committees
On
October 20-22, 2009 the PRCI Pipeline Program Technical Committees met
in Boston, MA. Over 100 Pipeline Members, Associate Members, Technical
Planning Associate Members and invited guests of the Corrosion (CORR),
the Design Materials and Construction (DMC), and the Operations and integrity
(O&I) Technical Committees (TC) attended. Each of the TC meetings
included multiple technical sessions and Project Team meetings to kickoff
new projects approved on the 2010 ballot. These sessions included discussions
leading to the development of detailed scopes of work and technical milestones
for the projects. The three Pipeline TCs met concurrently to maximize
the opportunities for individual TC members to attend select project scoping
sessions of interest to them in one of the other TCs. Each of the TCs
organized the Project Teams that will guide the technical work and identified
potential contractors to perform the research projects. The meeting also
included a review and discussion of selected ongoing active projects which
were funded by the 2010 Ballot for additional phases of work to continue
the research process to achieve successive goals.
Building
on the research planning accomplished at the EPRG-PRCI-APIA joint technical
meeting last year, the Technical Committees also identified opportunities
to increase the benefits of cooperative research programs with the EPRG
and the APIA-Research & Standards Committee (RSC). PRCI and APIA-RSC
are benefiting from the higher level of integration achieved last year
through the reciprocal membership agreement between the two organizations.
The
Facilities Technical Committees
The PRCI Compressor and Pump Station Technical Committee met September
22-24, 2009 in Washington, DC. The meeting provided technical updates
on all of the Committee's ongoing projects, and project teams were formed
for the newly-approved 2010 projects. As has become the custom, a liquid
pump group met in a separate breakout session for a portion of the meeting
to review pump matters. Moving
forward into the 2011 planning cycle, the Committee will initiate its
formal project planning and ballot development much earlier in the cycle.
This will allow the increased iteration with contractors to improve the
general understanding of, and buy-in for the projects, and allow more
refined workscopes and project plans for the Board R&D ballot. This
will cause a reduction in the time available for traditional project reviews,
which will be pushed back more onto the project teams. This implies that
the general purpose of the winter and spring Committee meetings is not
to bring all members up to speed on the current status of every ongoing
project, but rather to emphasize more thorough planning and project prioritization
for the annual ballot. Final reports and important interim results will
continue to be reviewed. Otherwise, members seeking interim project-specific
details will need to access PRIME for periodic reports, or join the scheduled
project conference calls.
The
Measurement Technical Committee met on October 20-22 in San Antonio, TX.
The meeting reviewed and staffed the newly funded 2010 measurement projects,
and provided members a thorough review of ongoing work. The new Flow Measurement
Research Library was demonstrated by CEESI, the contractor for the work
and operator of a pre-existing library that is being significantly expanded
and augmented via the PRCI project. The Flow Library was in Beta-test
phase at the time of the meeting, but has since progressed to full operational
status. It can be accessed by PRCI members via the Measurement
Committee homepage in PRIME.
The
Underground Storage Technical Committee met on November 19th in Pittsburgh,
PA, immediately after the DOE Gas Storage Steering Committee meeting.
Larry Kennedy of El Paso was elected as Committee Chairman to succeed
Ray Harris of National Fuel Gas, who has served in the position since
prior to PRCI's incorporation of the industry's storage program in 2005.
Click
here to read more about the 2010 Research Program.
PRCI and NACE Sign a Memorandum of Understanding
Building further on a long-standing relationship between PRCI and NACE, the two organizations have executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to foster activities that will serve their common interests in developing and disseminating technical information related to corrosion on energy pipelines. THE MOU also provides a framework for working cooperatively to advance these goals for the mutual benefit of their memberships. The MOU formalizes this important relationship with one of the primary standards development organizations that utilizes and applies PRCI's corrosion research results in developing the standards for integrity management of pipeline systems.
A key element of the actions enabled by the MOU is PRCI sponsorship of NACE conferences and training sessions. For example, PRCI is sponsoring the NACE conference on the new general applicability rule recently passed by PHMSA which allows pipeline operators the option of increasing their maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) to 80% if they meet certain design, construction, inspection, operational, and maintenance standards. The new rule is based on the substantial advances and improvements in steel pipe manufacturing, metallurgy, coatings, and assessment tools, all of which are supported by PRCI research programs. PRCI member company representatives are leading a number of the technical sessions in the PIMS NACE Conference and are providing input on practical application and interpretation of the 80% rule. Additional details are available at www.nace.org/maop2010.
PRCI member companies, staff, and research partners are also supporting the NACE CORROSION 2010 meeting in San Antonio, Texas, March 14-18, 2010 (http://events.nace.org/conferences/c2010/), including leading the Technical Exchange Meeting for Cathodic Protection and Corrosion Control Research Development, TEG 016X. Through leading this Technical Exchange Group, PRCI is able to coordinate its research efforts regarding these important topic areas with a broader group of stakeholders and technical experts in corrosion from many industries and academia, leveraging the collective experience to benefit the pipeline industry and improve NACE and other industry standards. Please contact Mark Piazza, Program Manager with PRCI for additional information regarding PRCI's participation at NACE CORROSION 2010.