Pipeline Experts Gather In Bahrain
Posted: 23 February 2005
Engineers from around the world came together recently at the Pipeline Rehabilitation and Maintenance Conference. Held under the patronage of the Bahrain Ministry of Oil, the four-day event also featured workshops and an exhibition.
Saudi Aramco co-sponsored the event, and MuhammadAli Trabulsi, Pipelines general manager, served as chairman for one of the sessions.
Several Saudi Aramco engineers also presented papers at the conference. Abdulaziz S. Akkas, group leader of the Pipeline Technology Application Unit, discussed the company's Inspection Management System (IMS).
Akkas told conference participants of the challenges in managing the maintenance activities on Saudi Aramco's 17,000 kilometers of pipelines and how the IMS application was developed to track maintenance repairs and inspection schedules. The computer-based system uses a variety of data inputs, allowing engineers to flag critical repairs and track maintenance operations to ensure quality control and pipeline integrity.
He also described how IMS was designed to allow for upgrades in the coming years. Planned improvements include artificial intelligence capability using "neural networks" as well as the introduction of Global Positioning System and Global Information System technology to facilitate data accuracy and graphical presentation of all relevant pipeline data.
Pablo D. Genta, a Pipelines engineer, provided an examination of Saudi Aramco's evaluation of leak-detection systems.
With thousands of kilometres of pipelines of various lengths running through both remote and populated areas, a thorough evaluation of leak-detection systems is important to Saudi Aramco, Genta explained. Detection systems usually fall into one of three categories: a software-based mass balance system, statistical pressure systems and acoustical detection systems. Each system has strengths and weaknesses, from sensitivity to cost issues, prompting the company to investigate a variety of options to find the most suitable.
Although the company employs a variety of measures, including cost-benefit analysis, to evaluate various systems, Genta stressed that certain intangible factors, such as environmental safety, can sometimes outweigh straightforward quantitative analyses.
Through the use of this methodological approach, pipeline engineers can select the most effective leak detection systems for any particular pipeline.
Another presentation, by Khalid Al-Shamekh, a pipeline maintenance engineer, described pipeline repair methods. Al-Shamekh's presentation focused on the type of problems that may arise in different situations and techniques used to avoid them. Many of the mitigation techniques have been developed with the support of other Saudi Aramco specialists from Consulting Services and Research and Development departments.
Eisa A. Al-Nasser, a field supervisor in Pipelines Technical Support Division, related the company's experiences with pipeline maintenance in sabkha (salt flat) areas.
With about 5,000 km of pipeline laid in corrosive sabkha areas, finding the most effective pipeline coatings and determining the best construction methods in such areas is vital to the continued flow of hydrocarbons to the world.
Al-Nasser told conference delegates that in almost every case, pipeline problems were attributable to a combination of causes, from coating failures and surface preparation to soil type and operating temperatures.
In pipeline rehabilitation programs, the company employs fusion-bonded epoxy coatings applied in controlled shop conditions, and the pipeline is installed in a marl pad atop the sabkha. Al-Nasser said this method extends pipeline life and improves reliability. In effect, rehabilitation work through these areas is now treated like new construction.
Despite the advances in materials technologies, Saudi Aramco continues to experiment with new coatings and various methods and materials to ensure that the Kingdom's hydrocarbon infrastructure remains both reliable and secure for generations to come.
The company also greeted visitors at a booth in the exhibition. With the support of Saudi Aramco's Public Relations Department, the exhibit included a film providing visitors an overview of the company's operations, a display of Hot Tap and Stopple equipment and processes, and a demonstration of the IMS application.
In his remarks, Tariq Bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, Bahraini assistant undersecretary for Oil Affairs, noted the conference served an important need for a comprehensive examination of pipeline maintenance and methods. He also offered special thanks to Saudi Aramco for its help in making the conference a success.
Posted by Editor Pipeline Magazine
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