PIPELINES IN THE PACIFIC OCS REGION - PREVENTING OIL SPILLS

Preventing Pipeline Oil Spills In the Preventing Pipeline Oil Spills In the Pacific OCS RegionPacific OCS Region

Presented byPresented byTheresa Bell, Minerals Management ServiceTheresa Bell, Minerals Management Service

Prevention First 2006 Sept. 12, 2004Prevention First 2006 Sept. 12, 2004

MMS, part of the U.S. Department of the MMS, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, oversees 1.76 billion acres of the Interior, oversees 1.76 billion acres of the

Outer Continental Shelf, managing Outer Continental Shelf, managing offshore energy and minerals while offshore energy and minerals while protecting the human, marine, and protecting the human, marine, and

coastal environments.coastal environments.

Pipelines Pipelines –– Preventing Oil SpillsPreventing Oil Spills

•• Why Pipeline Inspections?Why Pipeline Inspections?•• Statistics Statistics –– Causes of Pipeline FailuresCauses of Pipeline Failures•• Overview of Pacific OCS Region Pipeline Overview of Pacific OCS Region Pipeline

Inspection ProgramInspection Program•• Type of Pipeline Inspections and ToolsType of Pipeline Inspections and Tools•• Current Status of InspectionsCurrent Status of Inspections•• Continued Prevention of Oil SpillsContinued Prevention of Oil Spills

Why Pipeline Inspection Program?Why Pipeline Inspection Program?

How does this relate to offshore?How does this relate to offshore?

•• Media attention on industryMedia attention on industry

•• Corrosion can be a problem in offshore Corrosion can be a problem in offshore pipelinespipelines

Why Pipeline Inspection Program?Why Pipeline Inspection Program?


•• Why Pipeline Inspections?Why Pipeline Inspections?•• Statistics Statistics –– Causes of Pipeline Causes of Pipeline

FailuresFailures•• Overview of Pacific OCS Region Pipeline Overview of Pacific OCS Region Pipeline


Corrosion44%

Operational Error25%

Construction6%

Failed Valve/ Connection

25%

Distribution by Cause of FailureDistribution by Cause of FailureAll Pipelines in Pacific Region in last 12 yrsAll Pipelines in Pacific Region in last 12 yrs

Nat. Hazard17.9%

Impact6.8%

Structural5.7%

UnKnown5.6%

Material2.8%

Fire0.1%

Construction0.4%

Other3.9%

3rd-Party1.2%

Erosion0.6%

Corrosion55.0%

GOM Region GOM Region Distribution by Distribution by Cause of FailureCause of Failure

(Not including 2005)(Not including 2005)

Dept. of Transportation Dept. of Transportation Pipelines and Hazardous Material Safety AdministrationPipelines and Hazardous Material Safety Administration


•• Why Pipeline Inspections?Why Pipeline Inspections?•• Statistics Statistics –– Causes of Pipeline FailuresCauses of Pipeline Failures•• Overview of Pacific OCS Region Overview of Pacific OCS Region

Pipeline Inspection ProgramPipeline Inspection Program•• Type of Pipeline Inspections and ToolsType of Pipeline Inspections and Tools•• Current Status of InspectionsCurrent Status of Inspections•• Continued Prevention of Oil SpillsContinued Prevention of Oil Spills

Overview of Inspection ProgramOverview of Inspection Program

•• In 1990, MMS Pacific OCS Region pipeline In 1990, MMS Pacific OCS Region pipeline inspection program was established in the inspection program was established in the Pacific OCS RegionPacific OCS Region

•• In general, external and internal In general, external and internal inspections every other alternating year inspections every other alternating year

•• Cathodic Protection (CP) survey every yearCathodic Protection (CP) survey every year•• Remediation plan must be submitted for Remediation plan must be submitted for

safety or fishing hazardsafety or fishing hazard



Inspection ProgramInspection Program•• Type of Pipeline Inspections and Type of Pipeline Inspections and

ToolsTools•• Current Status of InspectionsCurrent Status of Inspections•• Continued Prevention of Oil SpillsContinued Prevention of Oil Spills

Type of Pipeline Inspections and Type of Pipeline Inspections and ToolsTools

•• External inspections External inspections conducted by remote conducted by remote operated vehicle or side operated vehicle or side scan sonarscan sonar

•• Used to detect potential Used to detect potential external problems external problems including spans, debris, including spans, debris, coating damagecoating damage

Type of Pipeline Inspections and Type of Pipeline Inspections and ToolsTools

•• Internal inspections Internal inspections conducted by conducted by intelligent pigs, intelligent pigs, a.k.a. a.k.a. ““smartsmart”” pigspigs

•• Used to detect wall Used to detect wall loss (corrosion) and loss (corrosion) and some dentssome dents

How MFL Works?How MFL Works?

•• Flux Field around a magnetFlux Field around a magnet

•• Flux field around a magnet Flux field around a magnet in contact with a pipein contact with a pipe

•• Flux field around a magnet Flux field around a magnet in contact with a pipe with in contact with a pipe with a defecta defect




Current Pipeline Inspection StatusCurrent Pipeline Inspection Status

•• All oil and gas pipelines externally All oil and gas pipelines externally inspectedinspected

•• All oil and gas pipelines internally All oil and gas pipelines internally inspected except one pipeline due to inspected except one pipeline due to asphaltene buildasphaltene build--up up

Repairs without Leaksin Pacific OCS Region

1

5

01

23

23

0123456

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Success of the ProgramSuccess of the Program

External Corrosion External Corrosion

Repair of Pipeline RiserRepair of Pipeline Riser




Continued Prevention of Oil SpillsContinued Prevention of Oil Spills

•• MaintenanceMaintenance•• Pipeline cleaning programPipeline cleaning program•• Corrosion Monitoring program that includes:Corrosion Monitoring program that includes:

–– Evaluating inhibitor useEvaluating inhibitor use–– Testing product, water and pigging debrisTesting product, water and pigging debris–– Corrosion couponsCorrosion coupons–– Internal and External inspectionsInternal and External inspections

•• Continuously evaluate effectiveness of Corrosion Continuously evaluate effectiveness of Corrosion Monitoring programMonitoring program

Agency & Company CooperationAgency & Company Cooperation

•• MOA between State & MOA between State & Federal agenciesFederal agencies

•• Joint InspectionsJoint Inspections

•• Information sharingInformation sharing

In ClosingIn Closing

Working together and having a good Working together and having a good maintenance, corrosion monitoring maintenance, corrosion monitoring and inspection programs can help and inspection programs can help prevent pipeline oil spillsprevent pipeline oil spills

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PIPELINES IN THE PACIFIC OCS REGION - PREVENTING OIL SPILLS