Pipeline Safety Control Room Management and Human Factors

Date: 10/21/2013

The Global Oil & Gas Pipelines Market

Oil & gas pipelines are an essential part of hydrocarbon transportation and distribution, required to ensure the smooth operation of the energy industry. The market is currently experiencing a number of important changes, with the factors driving spending differing considerably between each region. In particular, escalating oil & gas demand in Asia and the growth of the oil sands and tight oil markets in North America are creating opportunities for companies involved in the pipelines industry.

Visiongain has determined that the value of the global oil & gas pipelines market will reach $47.35bn in 2013. At present 103,378km of pipelines are under construction, planned or proposed throughout the world.

About U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines – Transporting Natural Gas

The U.S. natural gas pipeline network is a highly integrated transmission and distribution grid that can transport natural gas to and from nearly any location in the lower 48 States. The natural gas pipeline grid comprises:

  • More than 210 natural gas pipeline systems
  • 305,000 miles of interstate and intrastate transmission pipelines
  • More than 1,400 compressor stations that maintain pressure on the natural gas pipeline network and assure continuous forward movement of supplies
  • More than 11,000 delivery points, 5,000 receipt points, and 1,400 interconnection points that provide for the transfer of natural gas throughout the United States.  
  • 24 hubs or market centers that provide additional interconnections
  • 400 underground natural gas storage facilities
  • 49 locations where natural gas can be imported/exported via pipelines
  • 8 LNG (liquefied natural gas) import facilities and 100 LNG peaking facilities 

Largest U.S. Interstate Oil Pipeline Companies

Rank by 
2011 
Mileage


Company


Mileage

1

Magellan Pipeline Co. LLC

9,475

2

Mid-American Pipeline

7,823

3

Plains All-American Pipeline LP

7,621

4

ConocoPhillips Pipe Line Co.

5,979

5

Sunoco Pipeline Co.

5,596

6

Colonial Pipeline Co.

5,595

7

Enterprise Crude Pipeline LLC

4,735

8

Enterprise TE Products Pipeline

4,639

9

Enbridge Energy LP

4,436

10

ExxonMobil Pipeline Company

4,133

11

NuStar Logistics LP

3,664

12

Centurion Pipeline LP

3,641

13

BP Pipelines North America Inc.

3,569

14

Chevron Pipe Line Co.

3,266

15

Marathon Pipe Line LLC

3,197

16

Plantation Pipe Line Co.

3,123

17

Rocky Mountain Pipeline System

2,942

18

Buckeye Pipe Line Co. LP

2,651

19

ONEOK NGL Pipeline LLC

2,598

20

SFPP LP

2,505

 

Total

91,188

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration- 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195

Pipeline Safety: Control Room Management/Human Factors

The Control Room Management/Human Factors regulations in order to realize the safety benefits sooner than established in the original rule. The deadline for pipeline operators to implement the procedures for roles and responsibilities, shift change, change management, and operating experience, fatigue mitigation education and training is now October 1, 2011, 16 months sooner than the original regulation. The deadline for pipeline operators to implement the other procedures for adequate information, shift lengths, maximum hours-of- service, and alarm management is now August 1, 2012, six months sooner than the original regulation. In general, training procedures must also be implemented by August 1, 2012, with certain exceptions. Learn more »

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CONTINUATION

AIS Pipeline Transport HMI and Visualization & Regulations Adherence

AIS Pipeline Transport HMI and Visualization & Regulations AdherenceAIS engineer and design HMI and Visualization for pipeline transport applications in accordance with the latest pipeline safety standards.  The regulations call for specific improvements in the control room and change management, including compliance with American Petroleum Institute’s API 1165 and API 1168 best practices for control room management. They specify improvements in SCADA HMI, pipeline alarm management, business process management (BPM), field operator workflow, pipeline operator training, shift handover, documentation and auditing. Learn more »