Pipeline Inspection Using Intelligent Pigs Workshop

October 27-30, 2008

Houston, TX

This workshop has been offered each year since 1995.  The agenda is continually updated to reflect current technology, techniques, and practices.

The Houston, TX offering will be scheduled once sufficient interest has been expressed.

Class size minimum:  15; class size maximum: 24

To express your interest in attending, please contact:

Pat Turman, SGA (pturman@southerngas.org; 972/620-4021)

Workshop Organizers

Battelle
Southern Gas Association

For registration information - Pat Turman, SGA (pturman@southerngas.org; 972/620-4021)
For information about the workshop:
- Bruce Nestleroth, Battelle ( nestlero@battelle.org; 614/424-3181; or
- Fraser Farmer, Southern Gas Association (ffarmer@southerngas.org; 972/620-4016)

Workshop Scope

This workshop will help provide operations and maintenance engineers in pipeline companies with the knowledge to establish and manage an intelligent pigging program that contributes optimum value toward improved pipeline integrity.

Registrations will be limited to 24 people, to optimize interaction between instructors and attendees.

Who Should Attend

Operations and maintenance engineers and senior technicians responsible for in-line inspections using intelligent pigs.

Visit to ILI Vendor's Facility

Part of this workshop will be conducted at a vendor's facility in Houston.  This will offer the class a first-hand look at the commercial application of intelligent pigging and the behind-the-scenes processes involved.  Transportation will be provided.

Registration

Once this workshop is scheduled, on-line registration will be available at this page. You may also register by contacting Pat Turman (pturman@southerngas.org)

The registration fee of $1,495 ($1,695 non-member) includes breaks, continental breakfast and lunch each day, and all workshop materials. 

Hotel Information

To be determined.

Need More Information?

For registration information - Pat Turman, SGA (pturman@southerngas.org; 972/620-4021)

For information about the workshop -

- Bruce Nestleroth, Battelle (nestlero@battelle.org; 614/424-3181); or

- Fraser Farmer, Southern Gas Association (ffarmer@southerngas.org; 972/620-4016).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the Completion of this Workshop the Student -

Will be able to:

• Select the appropriate intelligent pig(s) for the potential defects in a pipeline
• Develop and manage the field operations plan in an inspection project
• Critically review results from a pipeline inspection project
• Use the information from an intelligent pig run to develop an appropriate repair, replacement, remediation program
• Set out relevant issues in contract documents

Will know:

• The principles of design and operation of key systems and parts of an intelligent pig: sensors; signal processing; storage; power source; markers
• The advantages and disadvantages of competing technologies
• The defects that intelligent pigs currently do not detect or size well
• The attributes of manual and automated data analysis processes
• The range of sensing technologies currently applied in intelligent pigs
• How to minimize the probability of a pig being damaged or getting stuck in a pipeline
• How an intelligent pigging program contributes to pipeline integrity
• How to prioritize pipeline sections for inspection using basic risk analysis techniques
• Fundamentals of defect assessment – how to prioritize repair and replacement
• The precision and accuracy of various inspection techniques
• What to expect of pipeline inspection vendors
• The importance of disclosing pipeline configuration information to the vendor
• The history of evolution of intelligent pigging technology and what is currently under development
• The implications of incorporating intelligent pigging information into an integrated pipeline integrity information system
• About the influence of pig inspection speed and the use of speed control on pigs
• The significance of having a clean pipeline to achieve good inspections results. How clean does it have to be? How can you tell if it’s sufficiently clean?
• How to demonstrate that any bore restrictions in the pipeline are within the capability of the pig to pass

Will know where to find out about:

• Intelligent pigs that are available on the market
• Pipeline failure statistics
• Pipeline failure case studies
• Regulatory requirements regarding the use of intelligent pigs

Prior Knowledge Recommendations:

To get maximum value from this workshop the student should have the following prior knowledge:

• Basic pipeline operations
• Basic NDT understanding