What has the industry learned from incidents like the spillage at Prudhoe Bay pipelines in 2006?
BLR. The industry is striving to prevent such accidents in future, analysing the risk of corrosion-causing bacteria in the fluid being transported, avoiding producing environments in the pipeline that may be conducive to the incubation of bacteria and reducing and monitoring build up of water in the line. Along with the increased frequency of maintenance pigs and undergoing more inspections using smart pigs, operators are increasing the sensitivity of leak detection systems and employing overflight of the lines using infrared detectors. Furthermore, geo pig runs are used to evaluate geological risks. O&G. What are the knock-on effects for the industry of ageing and poorly maintained pipelines? BLR. As the infrastructure ages, the potential for failure with safety and environmental implications clearly increases, with potential for soil contamination due to pipeline contents leaking to the ground from small leaks and the possible need for additional booster stations because of increased
