Oil/Gas Pipelines Integrity management
Washington Watch: Congress stalls on pipeline safety bill as PHMSA nears key rule decisions
(UI) — As Congress heads toward the end of this session, presumably in late September, the two, different bipartisan pipeline safety bills passed by two House committees appear to be going nowhere fast.
Enbridge to excavate pipelines for Clean Water Act compliance under proposed consent decree
The proposed Eighth Modification mandates Enbridge to investigate circumferential crack features in four pipelines, deploying specialized inspection tools and initiating a new excavation program.
Kinetik finalizes sale of equity stake in Gulf Coast Express pipeline
Kinetik Holdings has completed the sale of its 16% equity interest in the Gulf Coast Express pipeline to an ArcLight Capital Partners LLC affiliate for $510 million in cash.
Enbridge selects contractors Barnard, CBNA for Great Lakes Tunnel construction
(UI) — Enbridge selects Barnard Construction Company Inc. and Civil and Building North America Inc. to construct the Great Lakes Tunnel, safeguarding Line 5 pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
Inside infrastructure: Safety debate continues to address new, controversial subjects
Every four or five years, multiple committees in Congress undertake the responsibility of reauthorizing the nation’s pipeline safety program and the federal agency that oversees it.
Western sanctions impacting Russian underground infrastructure
The Russian sector of underground infrastructure construction is potentially in a serious crisis. The ever deepening shortage of funding and the lack of technologies are posing a threat for implementation of many investment projects and planned modernization of existing infrastructure.
SONATRACH and Huawei launch smart fiber sensing solution for oil and gas pipelines
Utilizing Huawei's optical fiber sensing solution and live-network service management process, the smart pipeline inspection system detects external disturbances around pipelines by capturing vibration data through accompanying optical fibers.
US officials want ships to anchor farther from California undersea pipelines, citing 2021 oil spill
Federal officials on Tuesday recommended increasing the distance from undersea pipelines that vessels are allowed to anchor in Southern California, citing a 2021 oil spill they said was caused by ships whose anchors were dragged across a pipeline after a storm.
Michigan regulators approve $500 million Great Lakes tunnel for aging oil pipeline
Michigan officials approved a $500 million plan Friday to encase in a protective tunnel a portion of an aging oil pipeline that runs beneath a channel connecting two Great Lakes, leaving just one more regulatory hurdle for the contentious project.
New leak detection rules for pipelines proposed
(UI) — The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has proposed major changes to its leak detection based not on concerns about safety but, rather, in order to reduce methane emissions related to their contribution to climate change.
Wellington City Council adopts digital map for underground infrastructure management
(UI) — The Wellington Underground Asset Map, backed by a $4 million investment, aims to revolutionize the installation and maintenance of buried infrastructure, including telecommunications cables, gas pipes, and other vital services.
Consultants: Design issues, operations lapses led to big Keystone pipeline oil spill
Pipeline design issues, lapses by its operators and problems caused during its construction led to a massive oil spill on the Keystone pipeline system in northeastern Kansas, according to a report for U.S. government regulators.
Construction entities call for punishment for pipeline attacks, improved mapping in pipeline safety
(UI) — The Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) and the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) have published a letter urging Congress to take action to address the enduring problem of physical attacks on critical energy infrastructure.
US military to begin draining Pearl Harbor pipelines
The U.S. military said it’s ready to begin draining 1 million gallons of fuel from three pipelines as part of an initial step toward closing a World War II-era fuel storage facility that leaked petroleum into Pearl Harbor’s tap water last year.
July 2021 pipeline break leaked 714,000 gallons of wastewater, not 36,000
A wastewater spill from a pipeline break last year in the northwestern North Dakota oil patch was 20 times greater than first reported, the state Department of Environmental Quality said.
New report shows oil spills from offshore transportation way down
Oil and natural gas spills from tankers and pipelines in U.S. waters dropped dramatically from the last decade of the 1990s to the one from 2010 through 2019, according to a federal report.
Common Ground Alliance white paper highlights natural gas distribution stakeholders’ role in damage prevention
Common Ground Alliance announced the publication of a White Paper based on research among natural gas distribution stakeholders that points to this group’s influential position in the damage prevention industry and actions stakeholders can take to drive damages down.
Judge approves $230 million settlement in California oil spill case
The corroded undersea pipeline ruptured north of Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, northwest of Los Angeles. All American Pipeline later estimated that 142,800 gallons spilled.
Oilfield wastewater spill reported in northwest North Dakota
State regulators are investigating the spill of oilfield wastewater from a broken pipeline in northwestern North Dakota.
Pipeline rupture spills over 300,000 gallons of diesel in Louisiana
A pipeline rupture in New Orleans spills over 300,000 gallons of diesel.
Wyoming Company to Pay $2M in Yellowstone Oil Pipeline Spill
A Wyoming pipeline company agreed to a $2 million settlement from a 2015 oil spill.
Army Corps Plans Thorough Review of Great Lakes Tunnel Plan
The Army Corps plans an extensive review of an Enbridge oil pipeline project planned to be placed under a Great Lakes channel.
Biden Pledges Aggressive Response to Pipeline Cyber Attacks
President Joe Biden pledges to respond aggressively to the cyber attacks on Colonial Pipeline.
Michigan Agency to Include Climate in Tunnel Permit Review
An agency in Michigan delivered a spilt decision over an underground oil pipeline that connects two of the Great Lakes.
Hearing to Decide Fate of Dakota Access Pipeline Permit
A hearing for the Dakota Access Pipeline permit on April 9 will decide whether or not operation will be put on hold.
Regulators Fined Gas Utility $900K for Pipeline Violations
Regulators in Indiana fined CenterPoint for pipeline violations.
Report: Gas Pipeline Builder Changed Plans Without Approval
A report found that Vermont Gas made several changes to an approved construction plan for a gas pipeline without informing the Public Utility Commission.
Mountain Valley Pipeline Changes Strategy on Permits
Mountain Valley Pipeline plans to abandon its blanket permit and instead apply for individual approvals.
Electro Scan Completes Trial Project for new Pipeline Inspection Technology
Electro Scan announced that it has completed a trial project of its new pipeline inspection technology with Sydney Water, Australia’s largest water utility.
Corrosion Blamed for 2018 Canadian Pipeline Blast
An explosion and fire in 2018 along an Enbridge Inc natural gas pipeline in northern British Columbia was caused by corrosion, Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) said on Wednesday.
- OSHA cites Florida contractors for trench safety violations at sewer and excavation sites
- Cadiz to reuse steel from terminated Keystone XL pipeline for California groundwater project
- Lynchburg, Va., breaks ground on largest-ever Blackwater CSO tunnel project
- Biden-Harris administration invests $849 million in aging water infrastructure, drought resilience
- The EPA announces $6.2 billion in funding for Iowa and Kansas water infrastructure