MAOP Verification Best Practices

Florida Energy Pipeline Association – July 18, 2012

www.STRUCTINT.com877-4SI-POWER

Eric KirkpatrickDirector – Pipeline ServicesStructural Integrity Associates,

Inc.

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Webinar Objectives

• Brief Overview of PHMSA Guidance

• Best Practices learned from MAOP projects

• Q&A (Please hold questions until the end)

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About

• Founded 1983• Headquartered in San Jose with offices in Denver, Salt Lake

City, Charlotte• 230 employees

• Specialists in Pipeline Integrity Management

• MAOP Verification

• Software and Data Acquisition Systems

• Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) and field services

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About

• Founded 1998• Offices in Chico and Walnut Creek Ca.• 140 employees and growing• Certified woman owned business by the California PUC • Senior staff of previous utility leaders in Gas Transmission

and Distribution• Recognized with 2011 Small Business of the Year Award by

PG&E• Proven performance in MAOP Verification, Hydrostatic Test

Engineering, Pipeline Engineering, Quality Assurance and Compliance Auditing.

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MAOP VerificationPHMSA Guidance

April 22, 1998 - PHMSA 1998 Guidance Document – Determination of Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure in Natural Gas Pipelines

September 9, 2010 – San Bruno Pipeline Rupture

January 10, 2011 - PHMSA Advisory Bulletin (ADB-11-01) - Establishing Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure Using Record Evidence (source of “Traceable, Verifiable and Complete” and “ensure company records accurately reflect the pipelines physical and operational characteristics”)

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MAOP VerificationPHMSA Guidance

May 7, 2012 - PHMSA Advisory Bulletin (ADB-12-06) – Verification of Records Establishing MAOP and MOPTraceable = clearly linked to original informationVerifiable = confirmed by other complementary, but separate, documentation.Complete = finalized as evidenced by signature, date or other appropriate markingOperators to submit data via the 2013 Annual ReportPHMSA intends to act on NTSB recommendation to eliminate the Grandfather Clause

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Start with a Specific Plan

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MAOP Project - SCOPE Options

Scope of Effort Benefit Concerns

Only Class 3 and Class 4 locations and Class 1 and Class 2 high consequence areas.

Limited Scope may result in faster completion of evaluation

Ongoing evaluation required for class location changes and new HCAs.

All Transmission No ongoing evaluation of class locations and new HCAs required. More verified knowledge of system.

Completion may take longer.

New Construction Evaluate whether existing processes are adequate. Eliminate future MAOP verification re-work!!!!

Non-MAOP data Efficiency, only 1 review of records

May impact schedule

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MAOP Criteria• Design Criteria – Pipe• Design Criteria – Standard Fittings (e.g. elbows, tees)• Design Criteria – valves, flanges, fittings• Pressure Test – constructed prior to November 1970• Pressure Test – constructed after November 1970• Historic Operating Pressure – 5 yrs. preceding July 1,

1970• Maximum Safe Pressure• Subpart K Uprates• §192.611 provisions for change in class location and

confirmation of MAOP• State Specific Requirements??????

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PHMSA 1998 Guidance Document – Determination of Maximum Allowable

Operating Pressure in Natural Gas Pipelines

Part 192.619(a)(1) Design Pressure: Lowest design pressurePart 192.621(a)(1) for any of the following system elements

Pipe (including service lines)Valves

Flanges FittingsMechanical CouplingsLeak ClampsInstrumentsOdorizersOverpressure protection devicesUpstream Regulator(s)-OutletPressure RatingDownstream Regulators-InletOther (list)

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Illustration of Key Data required to support MAOP

• Current Class Location• Current Pipeline MAOP• Date of Operation• Converted under 192.14?• Pipe Grade• Pipe Nominal Outside

Diameter• Pipe Wall Thickness• Pipe Longitudinal Joint

Type • Component Type (e.g.

Valve, Flange, Elbow) • Component Grade• Component wall thickness

• Component nominal outside diameter

• Component ASA/ASME/ANSI Rating

• Component Max Working Pressure

• Road crossing or encroachment with no casing?

• Railroad crossing or encroachment with no casing?

• Supported by bridge?• Compressor Station,

Regulating Station, or Metering Station?

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• Minimum Actual Test Pressure

• Pressure Test Date• Operator Name at

Construction • Name of Operator's

employee responsible for making pressure test

• Name of any Test Company used

• Test Medium Used • Test Duration

• Recording Chart or Record of Pressure Readings?

• Highest Elevation• Lowest Elevation • Recorder Elevation • Leaks and Failures &

Disposition noted• Date that Historic

Operating Pressure was recorded

• Historic Operating Pressure

• Uprate Test Date• Uprate Test Pressure

Illustration of Key Data required to support MAOP

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What Records are Applicable?Where are they?

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Inventory of Target Data by Record Type

Illustrative example only

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Identification of Valid and “Verified” Record Sources?

1Best Source – Consider Verified if confirmed by other complementary record.

2Acceptable Source – Consider Verified if confirmed by other complementary record. May be used as a complementary record.

3May only be used as a complementary record.

4 May not be used

Illustrative example only

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Completeness?

Signature?

Date?

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Completeness Grading

Document Quality – Illustrative Example: Test Pressure Doc(1)   First Tier Documentation – Signed and dated report with dead weight log and charts

(2)   Second Tier Documentation – Signed and dated report with charts

(3)   Third Tier Documentation – Signed and Dated Charts Only

(4)   Fourth Tier Documentation – Unsigned report with dead weight log and charts

(5)   Fifth Tier Documentation – Unsigned Report with Charts

(6)   Sixth Tier Documentation – Unsigned Charts

(7)   Seventh Tier Documentation – Report with no chart or pressure log.

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Scanning Records

• ADB-12-06 requires traceable records linked to original info

• The benefit of scanning applicable records is to avoid future loss and establish easier traceability.

• Scanned Images should reside on a server that is backed up for data loss prevention and security.

• Establish protocols for moving, scanning and returning records; this is yet another opportunity to loose key records!

• Avoid confusion, only scan the targeted records you need.

• Consider pre-sorting records

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Scanning Records

• Establish metadata system to capture key aspects of every image (e.g. Pipeline #, Project Number, Document Type, Date, Unique ID #, etc.)

• Establish rules for color vs. black and white, two-sided originals, scan resolution, format type, continuity of stapled documents, etc.

• Index each image in a logical manner; consider linking data to the associated image in some manner.

• Consider following same protocol for new construction records.

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Data Capture

Considerations include:•Loss Prevention•Integration into other uses•Ongoing access or one-time project?

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Example 1

Data from records identified that support pipeline features on transmission plat or other references and entered into MS Excel and MAOP calculated.

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Example 2

Data Management and MAOP Calculation in MS Access.

Final Verified Data resides in GIS

Data from records entered into MS Access.

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Application of Conservative Defaults?

Illustrative example

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RECORD EVALUATION

Data Conflicts (same data element from different records)

Evaluate Against Records Acceptance Criteria

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Quality Control Considerations

• 100% QC until confidence in process is established

• Records not Meeting Protocols Go through Different Process– Operating Experience, Subject

Knowledge– Engineers

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• Handwritten, Spreadsheet, Database, linked to GIS??

• Detail Process Flow

• Validation & Verification of spreadsheets or software – Test Cases

MAOP CALCULATION & VERIFICATION

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Start with a Specific Plan

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How to Contact Us

SI: ekirkpatrick@structint.comGTS: www.gtsinc.us/contact-us/contact-us-1/