Office of Pipeline Safety

U. S. Department of Transportation

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

www.dot.gov

Office of Pipeline Safety

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Herding CATS

Restoring Trust in Pipeline Safety Conference

November 2006

Kimbra DavisWestern Region CAT

Office of Pipeline Safety

Office of Pipeline Safety

Office of Pipeline Safety Mission:

Office of Pipeline Safety

To ensure the To ensure the safe,safe, reliable,reliable, and and environmentally soundenvironmentally sound operation of the nation’s operation of the nation’s pipeline transportation pipeline transportation system.system.

Office of Pipeline Safety

Office of Pipeline Safety

Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s – National Pipeline Mapping System

Office of Pipeline Safety

Office of Pipeline Safety

Interdependencies Emphasized with British Petroleum (BPXA) spill in

Prudhoe Bay

March 2, 2006 - Internal corrosion caused a 5,000 barrel crude oil spill onto the Arctic Tundra.

Office of Pipeline Safety

PHMSA Actions

March 15, 2006• PHMSA orders

BPXA to run cleaning pigs to remove solids from the lines and perform in-line inspections (smart pigging)

Office of Pipeline Safety

Another Leak

August 5, 2006• BPXA discovers a

location where crude oil has leaked through the pipe wall. Based on that discovery, BP initiates shut-down of this segment of the Eastern Operating Area.

Office of Pipeline Safety

Office of Pipeline Safety

PHMSA Actions

August 10, 2006

• PHMSA orders BPXA to perform extensive ultrasonic tests on the entire length of the WOA (still in operation) and the EOA (temporarily shut down)

Office of Pipeline Safety

PHMSA inspectors have continuously been on the slope since

the August leak

.

Office of Pipeline Safety

PHMSA inspectors come in all shapes

.

Office of Pipeline Safety

And all

sizes….

Office of Pipeline Safety

Progress to Date

• September 22 - PHMSA approved re-start of the 34” EOA segment for cleaning and in-line inspection.

• October 15 – in-line inspection commenced on EOA.• Preliminary results under review by PHMSA• No immediate indications or cause for concern

• To date - BPXA has performed ultrasonic inspection (or alternative technology) to locate metal loss on over 60% of the WOA and over 70% of the EOA. Inspection still continues today on the WOA.

• Next steps - BPXA is preparing the WOA for in-line inspection and plans to launch a pig soon.

Office of Pipeline Safety

Impact of BP spill on PHMSA initiatives

• Confirmed that PHMSA can effectively bring enforcement actions on non regulated, but jurisdictional pipeline facilities.

• Accelerated rulemaking on low stress hazardous liquid pipelines in Unusually Sensitive Areas. Proposed rules were published in August, 2006.

Office of Pipeline Safety

U. S. Department of Transportation

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

www.dot.gov