The Canadian pipeline industry is facing a number of talent challenges over the coming years – an aging workforce, an evolving diversified skill and capability pool and various macro-economic shifts and uncertainties, such as volatile energy prices and evolving government policy. Based on these challenges, there is an increasing need to better understand how this changing landscape will affect the skill-sets and expertise required both now and in the future within the pipeline industry. As such, the CEPA Foundation and its member organizations identified the need to start formulating an action plan now, to prepare for the talent needs of the future. Read the report.
Pipeline Inspector Certification Program
The INGAA Foundation and CEPA Foundation have developed and are publishing a Pipeline Inspector Certification program for adoption by their member companies. This program was endorsed by the boards of directors of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, the INGAA Foundation Inc., and the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association and the CEPA Foundation – major pipeline trade associations in the U.S. and Canada, respectively – with the goal of ensuring all pipeline inspectors doing work for their member companies are certified by the end of 2018. The Pipeline Inspector Certification will become the baseline for existing and future Pipeline Inspectors performing work for the member companies. The certification program is part of the continuous improvement process to enhance the operational reliability of pipelines. By standardizing the baseline certification of pipeline inspectors across the industry, the quality of new construction will be enhanced. Review the program description.
A Practical Guide for Pipeline Construction Inspectors
A Practical Guide for Pipeline Construction Inspectors was developed by a team of CEPA Foundation and INGAA Foundation experts based in a large part on information provided by their respective member companies. This Guide represents best practices based on the accumulated experience and consensus amongst the majority of member companies in terms of technical requirements, both in Canada and the U.S., for pipeline construction inspection competencies and related tasks beyond those captured in regulation and current certification. It is planned that this guide will be used to work with API to develop future versions of the API 1169 certification test. Review the guide.
A/C Interference Guidelines
The first edition of A/C Interference Guideline has been developed by CEPA’s Pipeline Integrity Working Group (PIWG). The guideline includes the Assessment, Mitigation and Monitoring of A/C Interference on Oil and Gas Pipelines in Proximity to Overhead A/C Powerlines. This document provides guidelines for identifying, mitigating and monitoring A/C interference on; a pipeline located on a powerline right-of-way (ROW), a pipeline ROW located parallel to a powerline ROW, laterals or extensions to any of the foregoing pipeline-powerline situations; and pipelines crossing any pipeline subject to A/C electrical interference. Review the complete report here.
Facility Integrity Management Program
This recommended practice provides guidelines for developing, documenting, and implementing a Facilities Integrity Management Program (FIMP) for transmission pipeline related facilities. Specific guidance is provided regarding the development of goals and objectives, as well as supporting programs and processes, to effectively maintain facilities integrity. This document puts forth the recommendations to be included in an Operating Company’s FIMP based on leading industry practice and building on guidelines established in CSA Z662 Annex N. Review complete report here.
ILI Tool Validation
The first edition of Metal loss In-line inspection (ILI) tool validation Recommended Practice has been developed by CEPA’s Pipeline Integrity Working Group (PIWG). The recommended practice was developed to supplement key industry standards such as API 1163 and industry best practice, with the overall goal to quantify the value of excavations and have a rigorous approach to ILI acceptance. This recommended practice provides a systematic and consistent process for a cost-effective method for Verification and Validation of an ILI inspection used in gas and liquid pipelines, based on the available information. In particular, this document is meant to enable an operator to establish a process to identify if validation excavations are required and assess the value of those excavations versus employing alternative verification or validation processes to accept an ILI run that has no actionable anomalies. Review the complete report here.
Pipeline Surface Loading Screening Process
This recommended practice details the development and implementation of a simplified screening process to assess the effects of surface loads on buried pipelines. The report outlines the theoretical models, standards, codes, recommended practices that are currently used to assess the surface loading effects on buried pipelines, the methodology used to develop the screening tool, the various temporary or permanent surface load dispersal techniques and other mitigation approaches that are often used to lessen the effects of surface loading.Review complete report here.
Pressure Reductions and Pipeline Excavations
Pipeline companies often reduce the pressure while performing maintenance activities and integrity excavations on in-service pipelines. Despite this practice, pipeline design codes, regulations and industry publications offer little guidance on what factors should be considered to determine how much, if any, the pressure should be reduced from operating levels during excavation activities. Also, it is not commonly understood what level of safety is introduced with these reductions and what historical operating pressure level should be used as the basis for the reductions. A literature survey and an interview process with CEPA member companies summarized common industry practices and determined factors to be considered when assessing if and how much of a pressure reduction is appropriate while excavating an operating energy pipeline. Review complete report here.
Sideboom Operator Training Standard
This Industry Training Standard is a guideline for third party training organizations and pipeline companies that provide in‐house training. The guideline provides industry with Entry Level Sideboom Operator Training advice. It aims to create acceptable, industry‐wide training standards for entry‐level sideboom operators. It also establishes acceptable, minimum competencies for these operators. Review complete report here.
Stress Corrosion Cracking Recommended Practices
This 3rd edition of the CEPA Recommended Practices for Stress Corrosion Cracking builds on the 1st and 2nd editions published in 1999 and 2007, respectively. These Recommended Practices represent an overview of the methods used by CEPA member companies to manage near-neutral pH SCC on their gas and liquid pipeline systems.
The Recommended Practices have been extensively revised for this 3rd edition, with a focus on the CEPA SCC Management Program. This SCC Management Program comprises nine well-defined steps encompassing three main areas: susceptibility assessment, condition assessment and mitigation and condition monitoring. Read the recommended practice.