Natural Gas Pipeline Safety and Inspection Guidelines to Prevent Explosion
Natural gas explosions can rip a building apart, ruining lives and businesses, or they can destroy a section of pipeline and disrupt the flow of energy into a town or city. Either way, they must be avoided, which is why safety and inspection are paramount. But in an industry where there are 2.2 million miles of underground pipelines in the United States alone, and where there is an ever-present possibility of a leak, how do you maintain rigorous standards?
“…Leading Edge, Environmentally Responsible Petro-Chemical Companies Use This New Laser Methane Gas Detection Technology to Drastically Shorten Survey Time While Improving Safety and Accuracy…”
Guidelines to Prevent Gas Leaks
The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) oversees and regulates the operations of the natural gas pipeline companies in the United States. The PHMSA, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, is responsible for the Office of Pipeline Safety as well as public safety for all transportation of hazardous materials, regardless the mode of transportation. The PHMSA is part of the Department of Transportation (DOT). The chain of organizations is as follows: Department of Transportation (DOT) >> Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) >> Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS). The OPS is often referred to as a category of either the DOT or the PHMSA.
The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) offers or provides Safety Initiatives, Training, Publications, Statistics, Regulations, and Regional Information. The OPS covers areas including communications and education with…
- the public,
- business & industries,
- state & local government,
- and research & development.
In order to meet obligations of the PHMSA’s Office of Pipeline Safety, companies put millions of dollars every year into training and technology to ensure that natural gas arrives safely in homes and businesses.
The guidelines begin with the design and construction of the pipelines. The pipe must meet federal and industry standards that address issues of corrosion and pressure. The corrosion to a pipeline occurs when it is placed in the ground and the metal comes into contact with the chemicals in the earth; the pressure begins when the gas first flows through a pipeline and forces itself against the inner lining.
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Pipeline Surveys Once in the ground, the maintenance and monitoring must continue. You will probably have noticed the markers along the routes of the underground pipes. These markers have an emergency telephone number that you should call if you suspect a leak.
The pipeline companies themselves check the pipeline routes regularly. They look for signs of disturbance to the ground above the pipelines and intervene if there’s a risk of excavation damage by a third party – a construction crew, for instance.
The pipeline companies also have external inspection schedules. These include valve checks, leak surveys and internal checks. For the internal checks, the engineers often use mechanical devices known as “smart pigs” that travel through the pipeline to assess deterioration of the structure and any possible weak spots. For leak surveys, technicians have traditionally used F.I.D. methane gas detectors. FID stands for “Flame Ionization Detection”. FIDs use a hydrogen tank that feeds a flame. Air to be sampled is sucked into the flame. The presence of methane changes the color of the flame and the instrument indicates an analysis of methane presence. Although, the more progressive pipeline companies have already adopted a new leak detection technology to replace FID. Leading edge, environmentally responsible petro-chemical companies use this new laser methane gas detection technology to drastically shorten survey time while improving safety and accuracy. |
Detecting Gas Leaks with No Equipment
All these guidelines and surveys may seem extensive and complete, but leaks of natural gas still occur. The main cause is a third party digging above or near a pipeline; this accounts for 60% of all reported incidents between 1995 and 2004. Other causes are fires or explosions that lead to pipeline damage; corrosion; and vehicles hitting meters or regulators positioned above the ground.
It is not always possible to immediately identify the natural gas leaks that may follow one of these incidents. The signs that you should look for include:
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But there are problems with simple tests that rely on sight, smell and hearing. The leak may be from a pipeline that does not run through the ground but through a shaft; the chemical that is added to natural gas to create the rotten egg smell is usually present only in pipelines in residential areas; and poor weather conditions may prevent all hope of establishing if dirt or water is blowing up through the ground in a particular spot.
Effective Equipment for Gas Leak Detection
Instead, you can perform an alternative test that is safe and quick using the BPA Laser Methane Gas Detector. After all, natural gas is predominantly methane with small quantities of other hydrocarbons. Whether you are part of a construction crew and worried that you may be faced with a natural gas pipeline leak and the potential for an explosion, or whether you are a pipeline company employee and need to perform a gas check on a reported leak, you can do so with complete accuracy using the Detector.
The hand-held BPA Laser Methane Gas Detector works in confined spaces and at a safe distance from the leak’s source. The SA3C06A model even gives you a graph display LCD with readings that you can store on a memory card and later transfer to a computer for inclusion in a company report.
A portable Detector that offers you all this has to be an essential part of your field equipment. There is no doubt that it can help you prevent a catastrophic explosion.
