Managing System Integrity
Managing the integrity of a gas pipeline system is the primary goal of every pipeline system operator. Operators want to continue providing safe and reliable delivery of natural gas to their customers without adverse effects on employees, the public, customers, or the environment. Incident-free operation has been and continues to be the gas pipeline industry’s goal. The use of ASME B31.8S as a supplement to the ASME B31.8 Code will allow pipeline operators to move closer to that goal.
RPA offers a comprehensive, systematic, and integrated integrity management program provides the means to improve the safety of pipeline systems. Such an integrity management program provides the information for an operator to effectively allocate resources for appropriate prevention, detection, and mitigation activities that will result in improved safety and a reduction in the number of incidents. RPA provide a process to assess and mitigate risks in order to reduce both the likelihood and consequences of incidents. It covers both a prescriptive-based and a performance-based integrity management program. The prescriptive process, when followed explicitly, will provide all the inspection, prevention, detection, and mitigation activities necessary to produce a satisfactory integrity management program.
