Laying pipeline and safety guidelines

NATURAL GAS PIPELINE

Natural gas that is transported through interstate pipelines travels at high pressure in the pipeline,
at pressures anywhere from 200 to 1500 pounds per square inch (psi). This reduces the volume
of the natural gas being transported (by up to 600 times), as well as propelling natur

The efficient and effective movement of natural gas from producing regions to consumption
regions requires an extensive and elaborate transportation system. In many instances, natural gas
produced from a particular well will have to travel a great distance to reach its point of use. The
transportation system for natural gas consists of a complex network of pipelines, designed to
quickly and efficiently transport natural gas from its origin, to areas of high natural gas demand.
Transportation of natural gas is closely linked to its storage: should the natural gas being
transported not be immediately required, it can be put into storage facilities for when it is needed.

There are three major types of pipelines along the transportation route: the gathering system, the
interstate pipeline system, and the distribution system. The gathering system consists of low
pressure, small diameter pipelines that transport raw natural gas from the wellhead to the
processing plant. Should natural gas from a particular well have high sulfur and carbon dioxide
contents (sour gas), a specialized sour gas gathering pipe must be installed. Sour gas is corrosive,
thus its transportation from the wellhead to the sweetening plant must be done carefully. Review
the treatment and processing of natural gas.

Pipelines can be characterized as interstate or intrastate. Interstate pipelines are similar to in the
interstate highway system: they carry natural gas across state boundaries, in some cases clear
across the country. Intrastate pipelines, on the other hand, transport natural gas within a
particular state. This section will cover only the fundamentals of interstate natural gas pipelines,
however the technical and operational details discussed are essentially the same for intrastate
pipelines.

LAYING PIPELINE
Suitable for all pipe diameters, open-trench pipe-laying is the most common method. To start
with, a trench is excavated along the planned pipeline route. If the in-situ soil does not offer a
suitable pipe bed, the trench is deepened and bedded. The pipes can then be lowered into the
trench as a welded pipestring.
 PRINCIPLES FOR PIPELINE SAFETY
1. Governments should provide leadership and create the basic administrative framework necessary to
facilitate the development of a safe and environmentally sound transportation infrastructure, including
pipelines.

2. The pipeline operator and/or owner has primary responsibility throughout the whole life cycle of its
systems for ensuring safety and for taking measures to prevent accidents and limit their consequences
for human health and the environment. Furthermore, in case of accidents, all possible measures should
be taken to limit such consequences by the pipeline operator and the national competent authorities.

3. Pipelines for the transport of hazardous substances should be designed and operated so as to
prevent any uncontrolled release into the environment.

4. Leaks from any part of a facility or pipeline that contain hazardous substances should be recognized
adequately in a quick and reliable way, especially in environmentally sensitive or highly populated areas.

5. The pipeline operator should implement a management system to ensure and maintain the integrity
of the pipelines. The integrity of pipelines should be ensured through adequate design, construction,
maintenance, inspection and monitoring and through sound management.

6. Deterministic and/or probabilistic approaches should be used in evaluating the likelihood of

pipeline accidents and their impacts on human health and the environment.

7. Appropriate measures should be taken in case of accidents. Emergency plans should be

established by pipeline operators (internal emergency plans) and by competent authorities
(external emergency plans) and should be tested and regularly updated. These plans should
include descriptions of the measures necessary to control accidents and limit their consequences
for human health and the environment.

8. Land-use planning considerations should be taken into account both in planning the route for
new pipelines (e.g., to limit proximity to populated areas and water catchment areas to the extent
possible) and in decisions concerning proposals for new developments/construction in the
vicinity of existing pipelines.

9. Pipeline operators and the authorities responsible for pipelines should review and, if
necessary, develop and implement systems to reduce third-party interference, which is one of the
main causes of accidents, including their transboundary effects.

10. Information on the safety of pipelines, the geographic position of pipelines, safety measures
and the required behaviour in the event of an accident should be supplied to persons likely to be
involved in case of a pipeline accident. General information should be made available to the
public.
11. Regular exchange of information between pipeline operators and authorities regarding good
practices, improvement of pipeline safety and past accidents and near-miss cases should be
considered.

SAFETY GUIDELINES IN GAS PIPEKINES

It allows people to map local utilities to spread information and prevent accidents related
to pipeline ruptures due to unsafe excavation. ... This tool is designed for companies that run and
operate natural gas pipelines and other gas utilities.

A few of the safety precautions associated with natural gas pipelines include:

1. Aerial Patrols – Planes are used to ensure no construction activities are taking place too close
to the route of the pipeline, particularly in residential areas. Unauthorized construction and
digging is the primary threat to pipeline safety, according to NGAA

2. Leak Detection – Natural gas detecting equipment is periodically used by pipeline personnel
on the surface to check for leaks. This is especially important in areas where the natural gas is
not odorized.

3. Pipeline Markers – Signs on the surface above natural gas pipelines indicate the presence of
underground pipelines to the public, to reduce the chance of any interference with the pipeline.

4. Gas Sampling – Routine sampling of the natural gas in pipelines ensures its quality, and may
also indicate corrosion of the interior of the pipeline, or the influx of contaminants.

5. Preventative Maintenance – This involves the testing of valves and the removal of surface
impediments to pipeline inspection.

6. Emergency Response – Pipeline companies have extensive emergency response teams that
train for the possibility of a wide range of potential accidents and emergencies.

7. The One Call Program – All 50 states have instituted what is known as a ‘one call’ program,
which provides excavators, construction crews, and anyone interested in digging into the ground
around a pipeline with a single phone number that may be called when any excavation activity is
planned. This call alerts the pipeline company, which may flag the area, or even send
representatives to monitor the digging. The national 3-digit number for one call is “811.”