EXPLORATION • DRILLING • FIELD SERVICES OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
technicians mobilising to the site to collect specific information on pipeline assets such as size, type, angle and manufacturing specifications (MTRs) along with the details of the contracted professionals who are performing site services. Furthermore, during the construction of the pipe, SCE field technicians record all attributions on all pipeline components, including the pipe segments, connections, asset type, operating and allowable pressure, etc. In many cases, this data must be recorded that same day before a pipeline is buried underground, making the vital information unrecoverable.
SUBCENTIMETRE ACCURACY Te field technicians are equipped on-site with advanced technologies and equipment to perform the asset data collection. To collect this detailed information quickly and accurately, SCE uses Trimble R2 GNSS receivers with Trimble TDC600 handheld data collectors that record GNSS locations, material attributes and associated geotagged images of pipelines. Te unique part of the Enhanced GIS Data Collection process is the ability to collect data down to subcentimetre-level accuracy, which is achieved by using a local Trimble VRS network. All details are captured and uploaded into a client-specific GIS digital database that is available to review near real-time. Due to the significant amount of detailed information collected, SCE has software and programs in place that can store and manage large capacity data. Tis data is maintained in large SDE databases housed in a SQL server on internal Esri Enterprise servers, where collected information and site photos are properly organised and filed. Te SCE field technicians use Esri Field apps bundled on the Android-based TDC600 handheld, such as Survey 123 and Field Maps. Te data is synchronised from the field to the office through a secure VPN connection initiating automated QA/QC and validation scripts.
The compact, durable R2 GNSS receiver
Field technicians are tasked with recording a lot of data in a very short timeframe
SCE uses the Esri GIS suite to provide a consistent geospatial framework that houses the detailed pipeline information. Additionally, SCE collaborates with each client to create and enhance custom data models within their GIS environment that meet their specific goals and requirements. Te resulting data is fully traceable, verifiable and provides a complete record for the life of the assets in accordance with the PHMSA regulations. From on-site data collection to uploading final information into client- specific GIS digital databases, SCE has considerably reduced the turnaround time for producing deliverables. Clients can view and query a full digital copy of their pipeline infrastructure immediately – and for larger projects, weekly data deliverables are produced for quality checks and reporting. Operators also gain the benefit of reducing employee hours on projects as well as no longer needing as many of their own GIS technicians to model or translate data. Prior to utilising the Enhanced GIS Data Collection process, deliverables for new pipeline installation projects were limited and site information was not collected with the same degree of completeness or precision.
REAL-WORLD SUCCESS STORY GIS Supervisor Jacob McGlincy at Southern Company Gas recognises the benefits of the Enhanced GIS process, which matches the advanced technologies
and GIS software being used. As he was wrapping up final inspections and commissioning activities at the end of a new pipeline project recently, McGlincy was asked to find all pipe segments installed on a transmission pipeline project that were manufactured on a specific day, had a specific type of coating and had a field bend. “It took just five minutes to query our data and identify seven pipe segments from more than 1,100 that had been installed – together with their exact locations in the field,” McGlincy says. Te seven segments were verified, and the pipeline was successfully commissioned on time. “Without the real-time access to the detailed data, this research could have taken days or weeks with many unsuccessful exploratory digs to find and verify these segments,” he comments.
MORE TO COME According to SCE’s Natural Gas GIS department manager, Marc Sheridan, “Tis is only the beginning: there is more to come. We started the Enhanced GIS Data Collection process over seven years ago and we are still refining. Tere are always new technologies to incorporate to improve efficiency. Inspection reports are going digital and we are working on closeout packages to provide complete pipeline documentation. What started as a simple pipeline feature collection has now grown into a complex network, offering endless solutions to clients.”
Stephanie Michaud is with Trimble.
www.trimble.com
www.engineerlive.com 27
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