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PHMSA’s Research and Development Forum

By Erin Kurilla posted 09-13-2018 11:13 AM

  
This week in Baltimore, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) held their Research and Development Forum. The forum is a two-day event held periodically to generate a national research agenda for pipeline safety. The forum allows public, government and industry pipeline stakeholders to develop a consensus on the technical gaps and challenges for future research. It also reduces duplication of programs, factors ongoing research efforts, leverages resources and broadens synergies. The national research agenda coming out of these events is aligned with the needs of the pipeline safety mission, makes use of the best available knowledge and expertise, and considers stakeholder perspectives. Specifically, the forum:

1. Identifies key pipeline technical challenges facing industry and government;
2. Disseminates information on current research efforts; and,
3. Identifies new research that can help to meet known challenges.

Gordon King, APGA and Research Foundation Board Member and CEO of Okaloosa Gas District, represented APGA at the forum. He led a breakout session focused on identifying potential areas of research pertaining to “Locating & Preventing Damage to Distribution Pipelines.” During that session, he highlighted the growing need to locate plastic pipe without tracer wire or where the wire has been damaged. There are four other breakout sessions at the forum, including: (1) Improving Assessment Methods for Dents & Cracks; (2) Remote Sensing / Leak Detection Mitigation; (3) Expanding In-Line Inspection Capabilities & Application; and, (4) Liquified Natural Gas.

The event page is located at https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/MtgHome.mtg?mtg=136&nocache=9447 .

For questions on this article, please contact Erin Kurilla of APGA staff by phone at 202-905-2904 or by email at ekurilla@apga.org.

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