Instrumentation • Computing • Control
Pipeline explosions put emergency preparedness in the spotlight
Expertise Reliability Innovation Connect2
I
n the wake of four major pipeline accidents in June 2014, emergency preparedness is taking centre stage. With a leaking oil pipeline igniting a huge blaze in China, pipelines exploding in Malaysia, Ukraine and India (where 16 were killed), operators of these and other pipelines are taking a hard look at how vulnerable their assets are to third-party threats. They are also evaluating whether they are prepared to respond rapidly with a repair solution, should disaster strike their critical lines. IRM Systems, an independent supplier of pipeline integrity services
and emergency repair specialist, notes that these incidents are a dramatic reminder of the random threats that can affect pipelines, and the urgency for having an Emergency Pipeline Repair System (EPRS) in place. “Operators must have an EPRS that offers the shortest possible time between the incident and re-commissioning. They must also achieve the highest possible level of post-repair integrity, at the lowest possible cost,” said Rutger Schouten, general manager of IRM Systems. Since 2011, IRM Systems has provided customised EPRS programmes
to pipeline operators, helping them to make certain that in the event of an incident, they are prepared and that appropriate contingencies are in place. The company has announced two important advances in EPRS
practice that will save clients time and significantly reduce the financial impact. First, by using a structured, process approach to emergency repair planning during an unplanned repair, the timeline from incident to re- commissioning can be dramatically compressed, minimising downtime. The process is driven by the operator, can be applied to any pipeline and, in and of itself, costs nothing. To illustrate this, IRM Systems developed an EPRS for a client
responsible for a remote deepwater pipeline in Asia Pacific. In the event of an unplanned repair, the client was faced with the prospect of an unacceptable repair delay that would have a considerable negative impact upon business. “They wanted to source a safer, faster option that would provide the highest level of post-repair pipeline integrity,” said Schouten. “We developed a modular solution that used vessels of opportunity to reduce the planned recovery time for a major repair by more than 250 days, representing a dramatic reduction in downtime and lost production.” l
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www.engineerlive.com/iog Oil_Gas_89x261_b0mm_07_14.indd 1 01.07.14 11:35
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