Bringing abundant gas resources to market is an increasing part of energy strategy for both nations and companies around the world. Given this increased emphasis, pipeline integrity programs have become essential to ensuring workers’ safety and maintaining the continuous operation of natural gas and oil transporting structures. Pipeline integrity programs consider pipeline design, pipe specification, pipe transportation and handling, pipeline construction and inspection, pre-service testing, and operation and maintenance. As part of integrity programs, fracture control plans for new pipelines consider the pipeline’s service and develop specifications for design and material selection to ensure the pipeline can safely tolerate the size and types of defects that it may encounter in service. For existing pipelines, fracture control plans redirect operation so that defects it may encounter in service are safely tolerated. They also develop and deploy strategies to control the length of fracture in the event critical defects develop.

Battelle has worked with the pipeline industry for 50 years providing corrosion assessment criteria and other guidelines and procedures for operating pressures for new and existing pipelines. For example, in December 2000, Alliance Pipeline began commercial service through a new $3 billion natural gas pipeline system which originates near Fort St. John, British Columbia and runs to Chicago, Ill. where it connects with the North American pipeline grid. Upon initiation of the project, Alliance contracted a team including Battelle to help develop a fracture control plan for their 1,857-mile mainline. Battelle scientists developed technology and line-pipe properties needed to validate the fracture control plan for the project, and assisted in the design and performance of the full-scale experiments that validated this plan.

New pipeline projects, such as the Alliance pipeline, are bringing new frontiers in the design and operation of pipeline systems. As higher operating pressures, lower operating temperatures, and rich gas push the pipeline industry forward, Battelle researchers are leading in the development and prediction of pipeline integrity.

For more information on this program, contact Brian Leis at (614) 424-4421, leis@battelle.org.