Volume 2: Pipeline Safety Management Systems; Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environmental Issues; Strain Based Design; Risk and Reliability; Northern Offshore and Production Pipelines最新文献

{"title":"The Effect of Ground Displacement and Stress Relief on Pipeline Behaviour: A Case Study","authors":"H. Karimian, Chris Campbell, C. Blackwell, C. Dooley, P. Barlow","doi":"10.1115/IPC2018-78245","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1115/IPC2018-78245","url":null,"abstract":"The Wapiti River South Slope is located 25 km southwest of Grande Prairie, AB. The slope is 500 m long and consists of a steep lower slope and a shallower upper slope, both of which are located within a landslide complex with ground movements of varying magnitudes and depths. The Alliance Pipelines Ltd. (Alliance) NPS 42 Mainline (the pipeline) was installed in the winter of 2000 using conventional trenching techniques at an angle of approximately 8° to the slope fall line. Evidence of slope instability was observed in the slope since the first ground inspection in 2007. Review of the available geotechnical data indicates two different slide mechanisms. In the lower slope, there is a shallow translational slide within a colluvium layer that is draped over a stable bedrock formation. In the upper slope, there is a deep-seated translational slide within glaciolacustrine and glacial till deposits that are underlain by pre-glacial fluvial deposits. Both the upper and lower slope landslide mechanisms have been confirmed to be active in the past decade.\u0000 Large ground displacements in the order of several meters between 2012 and 2014 in the lower slope led to a partial stress relief and subsequent slope mitigation measures in the spring and summer of 2014, which significantly reduced the rate of ground movement in the lower slope. Surveying of the pipeline before and after stress relief indicated an increase in lateral pipeline deformation (in the direction of ground movement) following the stress relief. This observation was counter-intuitive and raised questions regarding the effectiveness of partial stress relief to reduce stresses and strains associated with ground movements.\u0000 Finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted in 2017 to aid in assessing the condition of the pipeline after being subject to the aforementioned activities, and subsequent ground displacement from July 2014 to December 2016. This paper presents the assumptions and results of the FEA model and discusses the effect of large ground displacement, subsequent stress relief and continued ground displacement on pipeline behaviour. The results and findings of the FEA reasonably match the observed pipeline behaviour before and after stress relief. The FEA results showed that while the lateral displacement of the pipeline that was caused by ground movement actually increased following the removal of the soil loading, the maximum pipeline strain was reduced in the excavated portion. The results also indicated that ground displacement in the upper slope following the stress relief had minimal effect on pipe stresses and strains in the lower slope.","PeriodicalId":164582,"journal":{"name":"Volume 2: Pipeline Safety Management Systems; Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environmental Issues; Strain Based Design; Risk and Reliability; Northern Offshore and Production Pipelines","volume":"86 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127013461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advanced SAWL Developments and Optimizations for High Toughness, Low Hardness and Sour Environment","authors":"Fernando F. Silva, F. Arroyo, P. Darcis, M. Fritz, Marcelo Salani, Adriano Silva","doi":"10.1115/IPC2018-78108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1115/IPC2018-78108","url":null,"abstract":"Natural gas exploitation has been increasing progressively and the pipeline community are facing more challenging demands to ensure safe and reliable operations. In that direction, gas fields in very harsh environments are demanding material and welding procedure selections to comply with a combination of important requirements such as toughness at low temperature, sour environment, very low hardness, manual ultrasonic inspection (for UOE longitudinal weld soundness assurance) and others. Looking forwarding big challenges, Tenaris Confab has been successfully working to continue improving the know how regarding plate to pipe mechanical properties behavior, through steel selection using TMCP plates, welding consumables definition and process control to assure material performance. Considering this scenario, the main challenge is to comply with a combination of toughness and hardness requirements, assuring the material soundness through manual ultrasonic testing after 48h. These combination lead to a careful selection of welding consumable to add the right content of alloy element at the welding pool aiming a specific weld metal chemical composition after dilution. The alloy element selection has to be considered due to the aimed final microstructure at the weld metal, i.e. increases acicular ferrite, in order to achieve the toughness, hardness and manual ultrasonic performance for delayed hydrogen cracking (DHC); it is important to avoid grain boundary ferrite (GBF) nucleation. High wall thickness and high heat input increases residual stress after pipe welding, high residual stress combined to poor microstructure and hydrogen, is a perfect scenario for DHC. To avoid hydrogen cracks, a robust pipe forming process and welding concept is needed to give enough energy to diffuse hydrogen out from weld metal. Quality controls were applied to strict hydrogen content such as welding consumable specifications, evaluating the correlation curve between flux moisture and diffusible hydrogen, flux temperature control and others. As a result of those actions, good mechanical properties were achieved and overcoming the hydrogen cracking performance during automatic and manual ultrasonic testing confirm a robust pipe forming and welding procedure for demanding projects.","PeriodicalId":164582,"journal":{"name":"Volume 2: Pipeline Safety Management Systems; Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environmental Issues; Strain Based Design; Risk and Reliability; Northern Offshore and Production Pipelines","volume":"15 25","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132748655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Burst Pressure of Pipelines With Corrosion Anomalies Under High Longitudinal Strains","authors":"Honggang Zhou, Yong-Yi Wang, M. Stephens, Jason Bergman, Steve Nanney","doi":"10.1115/IPC2018-78803","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1115/IPC2018-78803","url":null,"abstract":"Existing corrosion assessment models were developed and validated under the assumption that internal pressure was the principal driver for burst failure and that longitudinal strain levels were low. The impact of moderate to high levels of longitudinal strain on burst capacity had not been explicitly considered.\u0000 This paper summarizes work performed as part of a major effort funded by the US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (DOT PHMSA) aimed at examining the impact of longitudinal strain on the integrity of pipelines with corrosion anomalies. This paper focuses on the burst pressure of corroded pipes under high longitudinal strains. It is known that longitudinal tensile strain does not reduce the burst pressure relative to that of pipes subjected to low longitudinal strains. Therefore, existing burst pressure models can be considered adequate when the longitudinal strain is tensile. However, longitudinal compressive strain was found to lead to a moderate reduction in burst pressure. Numerical analyses were conducted to study the effect of longitudinal compressive strain on the burst pressure of corroded pipes. A burst pressure reduction formula was developed as a function of the longitudinal compressive strain.\u0000 Full-scale tests were conducted to confirm the findings of the numerical analysis. Guidelines for assessing the burst pressure of corroded pipes under high longitudinal compressive strains were developed from the outcome of numerical analysis and experimental tests. The guidelines are applicable to different types of corrosion anomalies, including circumferential grooves, longitudinal grooves and general corrosion.","PeriodicalId":164582,"journal":{"name":"Volume 2: Pipeline Safety Management Systems; Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environmental Issues; Strain Based Design; Risk and Reliability; Northern Offshore and Production Pipelines","volume":"42 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129181369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Management System Competency Model and Development Program","authors":"Mark S. Jean, Linda A. Sikorski, Laura P. Zaleschuk","doi":"10.1115/IPC2018-78148","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1115/IPC2018-78148","url":null,"abstract":"The pipeline industry continues to look for ways to improve its compliance and performance. Management systems have increased prevalence in the pipeline industry, with recognition that carefully designed and well-implemented management systems are the fundamental method that should be used to keep people safe, protect the environment and align organizational activities.\u0000 Experience has shown significantly better success rates with management system implementation, both in terms of the quality and speed, when the person responsible for the design, implementation and sustainment of the management system has an integrated set of technical and enabling competencies. However, there is currently no standardized competency model that can be used to support a Management Systems Professional’s specialized knowledge and skills. The paper outlines the competencies needed by individuals to be effective in the design, implementation, measurement and evaluation of management systems.\u0000 Applying a ‘whole-person’ perspective, the model includes business, relational and technical competencies that contribute to performance excellence for management system practitioners, including outlining example behaviours at target level performance and proficiency, and supported by a defined body of knowledge.\u0000 This paper describes the Management System Competency Model, including how it can be used to create a position-specific development program for application within various organizations. This research establishes a basis for the creation of a practical, systematic and easy to use development road map for individuals and organizations who use or leverage a management system.","PeriodicalId":164582,"journal":{"name":"Volume 2: Pipeline Safety Management Systems; Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environmental Issues; Strain Based Design; Risk and Reliability; Northern Offshore and Production Pipelines","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128489638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effective Risk Management for In Service Pipelines: Achieving ALARP by Pressure Management and Slab Protection","authors":"Francis Carroll, J. Hayes","doi":"10.1115/IPC2018-78170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1115/IPC2018-78170","url":null,"abstract":"In Australia (and the UK), pipeline operating companies have a regulatory obligation to ensure that their assets are designed, constructed, operated and maintained so that risk to people and the environment is as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). In many routine cases, demonstration that risk is ALARP is a matter of compliance with relevant technical standards. There are some cases, however, that are more complex.\u0000 If a pipeline has been subject to significant urban encroachment and does not conform to current design standards for this service, how does a pipeline operator decide whether risk controls are sufficient? In Australia, rather than either ‘grandfathering’ requirements or mandating retrospective compliance with new standards, operators are required to ensure pipelines are safe and that risk levels are acceptable. The answer in cases such as this is a matter of judgment and we have legal, moral and reputational responsibilities to get decisions such as this right. There is currently no formal requirement in the US for pipeline risks to be ALARP, although the concept is gradually being introduced to US industry safety law. Examples include US offshore well control rules, California refinery safety regulations and the nuclear sector concept of ‘as low as reasonably achievable’.\u0000 In this paper, we demonstrate application of the ALARP process to a case study pipeline built in the 1960s that has been heavily encroached by urban development. The Australian risk-based approach required formal ALARP assessment including consideration of options to reduce pressure, relocate or replace the pipeline, or increase the level of physical or procedural protection.\u0000 Current and predicted operating conditions on this existing pipeline allowed reduction in operating pressure in some of the encroached segments, sufficient to achieve the equivalent of current Australian requirements for ‘No Rupture’ in high consequence areas for new pipelines. In other areas this was not achievable and a lesser degree of pressure reduction was instigated, in combination with physical barrier protection. The physical barrier slabbing comprised over 7 km of 20 mm thick high-density polyethylene (HDPE) slabs, buried above the pipeline. This approach was new in Australia and required field trials to confirm effectiveness against tiger tooth excavators and rotary augers.\u0000 These upgrades to the case study pipeline have significantly decreased the risk of pipeline failure, by reducing both likelihood and consequences of accidental impact. In combination with rigorous procedural controls such as patrol surveillance and community liaison, real risk reduction has been achieved and ALARP has been demonstrated.","PeriodicalId":164582,"journal":{"name":"Volume 2: Pipeline Safety Management Systems; Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environmental Issues; Strain Based Design; Risk and Reliability; Northern Offshore and Production Pipelines","volume":"38 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115465080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Application of Bayesian Network Threat Model for Corrosion Assessment of Pipeline in Design Stage","authors":"Guanlan Liu, Francois Ayello, Jiana Zhang, P. Stephens","doi":"10.1115/IPC2018-78388","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1115/IPC2018-78388","url":null,"abstract":"Internal corrosion modeling of oil and gas pipelines requires the consideration of interactions between various parameters (e.g. brine chemistry, flow conditions or scale deposition). Moreover, the number of interactions increases when we consider that there are multiple types of internal corrosion mechanisms (i.e. uniform corrosion, localized corrosion, erosion-corrosion and microbiologically influenced corrosion). To better describe the pipeline internal corrosion threats, a Bayesian network model was created by identifying and quantifying causal relationships between parameters influencing internal corrosion. One of the strengths of the Bayesian network methodology is its capability to handle uncertain and missing data. The model had previously proven its accuracy in predicting the internal condition of existing pipelines. However, the model has never been tested on a pipeline in design stage, where future operating conditions are uncertain and data uncertainty is high. In this study, an offshore pipeline was selected for an internal corrosion threat assessment. All available information related to the pipeline were collected and uncertainties in some parameters were estimated based on subject matter expertise. The results showed that the Bayesian network model can be used to quantify the value of each information (i.e. which parameters have the most effect now and in the future), predict the range of possible corrosion rates and pipeline failure probability within a given confidence level.","PeriodicalId":164582,"journal":{"name":"Volume 2: Pipeline Safety Management Systems; Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environmental Issues; Strain Based Design; Risk and Reliability; Northern Offshore and Production Pipelines","volume":"78 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114846756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Landslide Pipe-Soil Interaction: State of the Practice","authors":"G. N. Eichhorn, S. Haigh","doi":"10.1115/IPC2018-78434","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1115/IPC2018-78434","url":null,"abstract":"Current understanding of pipe-soil interaction during large ground movement events is insufficient due to their infrequency and the complexity of the infrastructure. Pipeline operators currently rely on a fully coupled continuum model of a landslide and pipeline interaction, or, more commonly, on a simplification of this interface using structural beam style soil-springs to transfer soil loads and displacements to the pipeline.\u0000 The basis for soil-springs are laboratory studies based largely on clean sand or pure clay, and flat ground. Owing to the use of manufactured soils and flat ground, the soil-pipe interface modelling may not be valid for landslides.\u0000 The loading of a pipeline in a landslide, and how the soil-spring factors should change with space and time are reviewed and may differ from commonly adopted guidelines. Physical modelling in research is emerging to study landslides and pipelines utilizing fully instrumented scale models. In the absence of fully instrumented field pipelines, physical modelling should be used to validate continuum models.","PeriodicalId":164582,"journal":{"name":"Volume 2: Pipeline Safety Management Systems; Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environmental Issues; Strain Based Design; Risk and Reliability; Northern Offshore and Production Pipelines","volume":"166 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126663332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of In-Line Inspection and Failure Data to Reduce Subjectivity of Risk Model Scores for Uninspected Pipelines","authors":"Y. Beauregard, A. Woo, Terry Huang","doi":"10.1115/IPC2018-78735","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1115/IPC2018-78735","url":null,"abstract":"Pipeline risk models are used to prioritize integrity assessments and mitigative actions to achieve acceptable levels of risk. Some of these models rely on scores associated with parameters known or thought to contribute to a particular threat. For pipelines without in-line inspection (ILI) or direct assessment data, scores are often estimated by subject matter experts and as a result, are highly subjective. This paper describes a methodology for reducing the subjectivity of risk model scores by quantitatively deriving the scores based on ILI and failure data.\u0000 This method is applied to determine pipeline coating and soil interaction scores in an external corrosion likelihood model for uninspected pipelines. Insights are drawn from the new scores as well as from a comparison with scores developed by subject matter experts.","PeriodicalId":164582,"journal":{"name":"Volume 2: Pipeline Safety Management Systems; Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environmental Issues; Strain Based Design; Risk and Reliability; Northern Offshore and Production Pipelines","volume":"58 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124981633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is Public Safety Impacted by the Multiple Regulatory Regimes for Gas Pipelines and Networks?","authors":"J. Hayes, Lynne Chester, D. K. King","doi":"10.1115/IPC2018-78160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1115/IPC2018-78160","url":null,"abstract":"Gas pipelines and networks are subject to multiple regulatory governance arrangements. One regime is economic regulation which is designed to ensure fair access to gas markets and emulate the price pressures of competition in a sector dominated by a few companies. Another regime is technical regulation which is designed to ensure pipeline system integrity is sufficient for the purposes of public safety, environmental protection and physical security of supply. As was highlighted in analysis of the San Bruno pipeline failure, these two regulatory regimes have substantially different orientations towards expenditure on things such as maintenance and inspection which ultimately impact public safety.\u0000 Drawing on more than 50 interviews, document review and case studies of specific price determinations, we have investigated the extent to which these two regulatory regimes as enacted in Australia may conflict, and particularly whether economic regulation influences long-term public safety outcomes. We also draw on a comparison with how similar regulatory requirements are enacted in the United Kingdom (UK).\u0000 Analysis shows that the overall orientation towards risk varies between the two regimes. The technical regulatory regime is a typical goal-setting style of risk governance with an overarching requirement that ‘reasonably practicable’ measures are put in place to minimize risk to the public. In contrast, the incentive-based economic regulatory regime requires that expenditure should be ‘efficient’ to warrant inclusion in the determination of acceptable charges to customers. How safety is considered within this remains an open question.\u0000 Best practice in performance-based safety regimes such as those used in the UK and Australia require that regulators adopt an attitude towards companies based on the principle of ‘trust but verify’ as, generally speaking, all parties aim for the common goal of no accidents. Equally, in jurisdictions that favor prescriptive safety requirements such as the United States (US) the common goal remains. In contrast, stakeholders in the economic regulatory regime have significantly diverse interests; companies seek to maximize their individual financial returns and regulators seek to exert downward price pressures. We argue that these differences in the two regulatory regimes are significant for the management of public safety risk and conclude that minimizing risk to the public from a major pipeline failure would be better served by the economic regulatory regime’s separate consideration of safety-related from other expenditure and informed by the technical regulator’s view of safety.","PeriodicalId":164582,"journal":{"name":"Volume 2: Pipeline Safety Management Systems; Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environmental Issues; Strain Based Design; Risk and Reliability; Northern Offshore and Production Pipelines","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134644471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of Empirical Method to Calculate Natural Gas Pipelines Rupture Exposure Radius","authors":"Abdulaziz N. Ababtain, A. Aloqaily","doi":"10.1115/IPC2018-78272","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1115/IPC2018-78272","url":null,"abstract":"Saudi Aramco gas pipeline location classification are designed with a similar approach to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B31.8, which segments the pipeline length and counts the population for each segment. For the segments width, ASME utilizes a fixed distance, i.e., 400 m, while Saudi Aramco uses the pipeline Rupture Exposure Radius (RER), a consequence modeling driven distance similar to ASME’s Potential Impact Radius (PIR). The design factors (i.e., wall thickness requirements) are selected based on the population density within the defined segments, while also affecting the number of segments and emergency isolation valves required along the pipeline.\u0000 Previously, Saudi Aramco pipelines safety standards set two default RER values to be used in the pipeline design based on conservative estimates. Based on the pipeline diameter, the RER is set at 1,000m or 2,000m for less than 24″ pipeline and greater than or equal to 24″ in size, respectively.\u0000 Saudi Aramco standard defined RER by modelling the downwind dispersion distance at ground level in case of a pipeline full bore rupture to the limit of ½ the lower flammable limit (LFL) of the released vapor cloud, which was shown to be smaller than the standardized values.\u0000 As sweet gas pipeline systems are hugely expanding to accommodate the increase in domestic demand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an efficient method for calculating RER was developed and introduced to the standard. For future pipelines, lower RER distances resulted in more flexibility in route selection, lower pipeline location class, and hence thinner wall thicknesses, less emergency isolation valves required, and longer span between sectionalizing valves, which all translate to cost savings. Existing pipelines currently require less upgrades when encountering urban development in their route, have less number of High Consequence Areas (HCAs) and better repair prioritization.\u0000 By statistically analyzing and modeling the Saudi Aramco gas pipeline network, this paper discusses the development of an empirical formula that is representative and less conservative for estimating pipelines flammable gas cloud dispersion ½ LFL. The resulted calculation method had been developed utilizing consequence modeling software, and is expressed as a simple formula as a function of the pipeline pressure and diameter. The established method is currently adopted by Saudi Aramco pipeline safety standards, and resulted in a reduction of 74% of the average pipelines RER, with a standard deviation of 4 meters from the consequence modeling results, and minor diversion in consequence distances when compared to international standards calculation methods such as ASME PIR.","PeriodicalId":164582,"journal":{"name":"Volume 2: Pipeline Safety Management Systems; Project Management, Design, Construction, and Environmental Issues; Strain Based Design; Risk and Reliability; Northern Offshore and Production Pipelines","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132070878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}