Standards Development

Scope

This standard provides guidelines for the selection and implementation of pipeline geohazards monitoring methods and strategies. It provides processes and principles applicable to various practical monitoring measures. Moreover, it describes the methods and procedures to be implemented and provides guidance for determining the:

—type, significance grade and frequency of monitoring;

—recommended monitoring objects and appropriate monitoring systems and methods;

—components of the monitoring system;

—threshold alarms, early warning level, criteria and response measures;

—requirements of the early warning information system.

This standard applies to onshore gathering and transmission pipelines used in the petroleum and natural gas industries.

Purpose

Geohazards have the potential to adversely affect the operation or integrity of an existing pipeline, as well as the routing, design, and construction of a proposed pipeline. As common, effective and low-cost means of geohazard risk mitigation, monitoring measures are widely used in the design of pipelines and their construction and operation phases.

In recent years, the demand for standardization of such monitoring measures has increased significantly. In view of the fact that there has no international standard currently available in pipeline geohazards monitoring, this standard will take the lead to give a series of recommendations towards guiding designers and operators (and their consultants), as well as investor/owner, government agencies of environment, land and agriculture, to carry out monitoring work efficiently.

Experts in WG23 have extensive geohazard monitoring experiences and technical knowledge. The design, construction and management experience of nearly 1000 pipeline geohazard monitoring projects is a great advantage for the smooth progress of the standard.

The standard will address the following issues:

1) Potential obstacles in market access, public procurement etc., caused by non-uniform monitoring technical standards.

2) Insufficient mitigation measures for an increased number of geohazards induced by frequent extreme weathers and meteorological events in recent years, these have brought many troubles to construction and operation of pipelines particularly in mountainous countries or regions. More monitoring technologies need to be shared and spread at those areas.

The following benefits may the standard bring:

Technological benefit — The standard will identify for stakeholders the current state-of-the-art in pipeline geohazard monitoring, identify best practices and provide examples of monitoring systems and technology, both current and emerging. The new standard also enables monitoring service providers to participate in monitoring works across countries and regions, not confining to geographical limits.

Economic benefit — The application of monitoring can effectively reduce the cost of mitigation under certain circumstances. For example, for systems where there are many potential hazards with uncertainty as to which ones will occur during the lifetime of the pipeline, application of a monitoring program is typically a more cost-effective method to reduce risk than mitigation of all of the potential hazards. It can improve the economic and business efficiency for stakeholders, especially for small and medium sized pipeline operators.

Societal and environmental benefit — The new standard will include early warning methods of geohazards that may lead to pipeline rupture or leakage accidents, so as to avoid and reduce possible social and environmental losses.