Strategic Research Priorities (SRPs) are key strategic industry initiatives that identify common challenges and allocate resources to research, understand, and develop solutions for better outcomes. By collectively identifying and executing SRPs, important projects that affect multiple technical areas of expertise can be collaboratively addressed.

In current and past research initiatives, SRPs have tackled the following areas of interest:

Optimizing the detection and mitigation of mechanical damage
Pathway to achieving efficient and effective crack management
Standardizing validation and qualification of leak detection technology
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Optimizing integrity management of hydrotechnical hazard (geohazard) management

Overview

This Strategic Research Priority consolidates mechanical damage research to effectively manage deformations identified through condition assessments to ensure repairs are made where truly needed.

Updates

All deliverables for the first phase of the Mechanical Damage SRP have now been successfully completed, ultimately closing long standing gaps and charting a coordinated pathway for the second edition of API 1183 and future MD SRP Phase II research.

PR214 213800 R01 Evaluation of API RP 1183 Dent Fatigue Analyses using In Service Dents Data
PR214 223810 R01 Improvement in Dent Assessment and Management Tools
PR 214 203805 R01 Performance Evaluation of ILI Systems for Dents and Coincident Features
PR 214 223808 R01 Verification of Screening Tools for Classifying ILI Reported Dents with Metal Loss Features
PR 328 223807 R01 Development of Guidance Document for Performing Dent ECA in Accordance with Megarule
PR 214 203820 R01 Performance Evaluation of ILI for Dents with Cracks and Gouges
PR 328 203803 R01 Improve In Line Inspection (ILI) Sizing Accuracy
PR 644 213803 R01 Fatigue Life Models for Pipelines Containing Dents and Gouges
PR214 203804 R01 Systematize 20 Years of Mechanical Damage Research

The second phase of the Mechanical Damage SRP will begin in 2026, launching with three approved projects. Alongside ongoing research funded outside the SRP, this next phase advances and refines methods to further strengthen pipeline integrity management.

Outcomes

Improving operator management systems to advanced safety, protection of the environment, reliability, and cost-efficiency
Eliminating unnecessary excavations and failure
Impacting industry recommended practices and standards, including standards for ILI reporting criteria for mechanical damage

Overview

This Strategic Research Priority focuses on the prevention of failures due to crack-like defects by making improvements in the integrity management life cycle of susceptibility, inspection, assessment, and remediation, and management of the threat.

Outcomes

Closing identified gaps in performance demonstration for crack ILI, NDE, and material properties’ performance data
Providing the next generation of susceptibility models by cracking threat/morphology
Broadly communicating outcomes to advance crack management withing industry fabric
Further operationalizing the TDC and vTDC for crack management

Overview

This Strategic Research Priority closes the primary gaps in standardizing the way that technologies and methods for leak detection are validated and qualified for energy pipelines (gathering, transmission, and distribution), and their associated facilities.

Outcomes

Identifying, developing, and confirming effective leak detection monitoring technology options for the industry
Significantly reducing liquid and gas leak impacts and improving confidence in pipeline safety
Impacting industry-recommended practice and standards

Overview

This Strategic Research Priority will result in optimization of the integrity management of hydrotechnical hazards for both natural gas and liquid hydrocarbon pipelines.

Outcomes

Common data dictionary of relevant geomorphological and hydrotechnical terms to enable direct comparison of the data sets collected by different operators through different approaches
Develop metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation options through comparison of the duration of design performance and life-cycle costs of mitigations
Develop effective temporary and permanent mitigation options that go beyond armoring and horizontal directional drilling (HDD) of the water crossing
Develop continuous monitoring techniques of channel scour to enable validation of the hydrological models and cumulative event loading on the pipeline
Develop geohazard interaction modeling to identify susceptible locations of slope failure following extreme hydrotechnical events

Strategic Research Priorities

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