Technology Meets Mega Rule Materials Verification Challenge Head On

摘要

The pipeline industry has been aware for nearly a decade that the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) planned to introduce regulatory requirements to improve pipeline safety. In October 2019, when the new requirements were unveiled, it became apparent that asset owners would face challenges verifying asset integrity to meet the regulator's expectations when the rules go into effect in July 2020. Extensive asset verification is required both in terms of material properties (§192.607) and maximum allowable pressure (MAOP) reconfirmation (§192.624). This verification on a large scale will be difficult and expensive using traditional destructive testing, which requires shutting down the pipe, cutting coupons and testing in a metallurgy lab. Yet, the alternative of segment replacement or pressure reduction of product flow through the pipe often is even less economically feasible.