Utilizing GIS data systems to enhance risk‐based integrity 

management for upstream oil‐and‐gas pipeline systems

GITA’S GIS CONFERENCE FOR OIL AND GAS 
CALGARY
NOVEMBER 6‐7, 2008

David Richardson, P.Eng.
QM4 Engineering Ltd.
 “Integrity Management”

FOCUS ON USING DATA TO AFFECT PERFORMANCE
Pipeline operators need create 
integrity management plans that 
minimize the overall costs of pipeline 
operation and that address the 
consequences associated with a leak:

• loss of life and property, 
environmental damage, 
business losses, reputation

Learning Objectives:
∙ Get an introduction to what an Integrity Management plan 
encompasses
∙ Understand the challenges associated with implementing 
an Integrity Management plan
∙ Learn techniques for integrating commercial software and 
custom applications for developing a successful Integrity 
Management plan
GITA’s GIS for Oil and
Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 ƒ Structure

ƒ Pipeline Performance – Industry Issues
ƒ Technical Requirements of Integrity Management
ƒ Application of GIS Tools to Support Pipeline Management

GITA’s GIS for Oil and

Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 Pipeline Performance / Industry Issues
INDUSTRY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
Oil and Gas Pipeline Failures by Year --
Upstream Sector Typical Industry Sector Performance

AEUB,
ERCB Canada
Data1998

Inte rnal Corro s io n

51% Other 7%
Joint 3%
Pipe 3%
Overpressure 3%
Construction Damage 5%
Weld 5%
Third Party Damage
External Corros io n 10%
15%
Internal corrosion is most significant failure mode for gathering systems transporting
corrosive fluids & failure frequency is increasing.

GITA’s GIS for Oil and

Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 Pipeline Performance / Industry Issues

Oil and Gas Pipeline Failures by Year --

Typical Industry Sector Performance

Internal Corrosion Failures

Internal corrosion failure frequencies are increasing in spite of expenditures associated with
mitigation, monitoring, & inspection. Root cause is lack of technical alignment of mitigation
and inability of monitoring program to identify changes to the hazard state.

GITA’s GIS for Oil and

Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 Comprehensive, Rigorous
Quality Pipeline Integrity 

FOCUS ON PIPELINE ASSET DATA
GIS-Based Applications
Management Program – Utilize
Understand
Risks, On –
Corporate
“A Process, not an Event” Information
board Technical
Knowledge

Make Decisions
and Develop Plans
with Better Quality
Information

Develop Processes &

Activities in Response to
Change
Share Information
with management

Industry Standard Practice Looking Ahead with GIS

GITA’s GIS for Oil and (reactive) Solution
Gas Conference Calgary (predictive)
November 6-7, 2008
 DATA
DELIVERING VALUE INTO BUSINESS MODEL WITH GIS 
Value of GIS Data Systems to Corporate Business Model

Pipeline &  Advanced 
Quality Integrity 
Equipment  Support to  Network 
Program 
Inventory Data  Regulatory Affairs Modelling to 
Implementation
Management Optimize Delivery

Compliance /  Compliance /  Production 

V Reliability / OPEX OPEX Compliance
Volumes
A
•POMM Manual
•POMM Manual •New pipelines
•New pipelines •EUB audit prep
•EUB audit prep •Prioritization of projects
•Prioritization of projects
L •Operations training
•Operations training •A & D activity
•A & D activity •EUB correspondence
•EUB correspondence •Data validation
•Data validation
U •Formal PIM structure
•Formal PIM structure •Monthly PVR volumes
•Monthly PVR volumes •NCR catalogue
•NCR catalogue •Construct models
•Construct models
•Monitoring programs •Public data integration •NCR corrective actions •Baseline validation
E •Monitoring programs
•Probes / coupons
•Public data integration
•Flow apportionment
•NCR corrective actions
•Support to Self‐Dec’s
•Baseline validation
•Sensitivity studies
•Probes / coupons •Flow apportionment •Support to Self‐Dec’s •Sensitivity studies
•Chemical programs
•Chemical programs •Risk assessments
•Risk assessments •Management reporting
•Management reporting •Compression / looping
•Compression / looping
•Pigging programs
•Pigging programs •Data quality / validation
•Data quality / validation •EPZ Calculations
•EPZ Calculations •Liquid management
•Liquid management
•Failure analysis
•Failure analysis •Network connectivity
•Network connectivity •Lease compliance
•Lease compliance •Drilling optimization
•Drilling optimization
•Suspension programs
•Suspension programs •Data integration to Map
•Data integration to Map •D‐13 suspended well 
•D‐13 suspended well 
•Re‐commissioning •Network schematics
•Network schematics surveillance schedules
surveillance schedules
•Re‐commissioning
•Integrity testing
•Integrity testing •Data loading services
•Data loading services
•Inspections
•Inspections

Field Validated by Operations Teams
GIS‐Based INVENTORY DATA – Wells, Pipelines & Pipeline Equipment

GITA’s GIS for Oil and

Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 RISK  =  LIKELIHOOD  X  CONSEQUENCE

RISK‐BASED PIPELINE INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT
 INTERNAL CORROSION LIKELIHOOD

QM4 RISK CALCULATOR – CONSEQUENCE MODEL
GITA’s GIS for Oil and
Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 INTERNAL CORROSION LIKELIHOOD

Application of corrosion growth rate models as determination of fluid

aggressiveness & remaining life of the pipeline structure

GITA’s GIS for Oil and

Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 INTERNAL CORROSION LIKELIHOOD
Consideration of Detrimental Flow Conditions

-Critical inclination angle not exceeded

-Stratified water film
-Good film movement
-Relatively easy to mitigate

oi l

stratified water film

GITA’s GIS for Oil and
Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 INTERNAL CORROSION LIKELIHOOD
Consideration of Detrimental Flow Conditions

-Critical inclination angle exceeded

-Onset of high liquid fraction to 50%
-Higher likelihood of reduced localized pH
-Severe stagnant pools allow bacteria / solids to settle
-Potential for onset of steady-state slugging
-increase in water film shear stress
-More difficult to mitigate
oil -Conditions prevail at locations of pipeline failures

Critical inclination exceeded α

GITA’s GIS for Oil and
Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008 stationary water film
 INTERNAL CORROSION LIKELIHOOD

Development of Elevation Profile using DEM Technology

Elevation Profile vs. Distance

180,039 feet (34.1 miles)

GITA’s GIS for Oil and

Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 FAILURE CONSEQUENCE MODEL

QM4 RISK CALCULATOR – CONSEQUENCE MODEL
GITA’s GIS for Oil and
Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
KEY OBJECTIVE OF GIS DATA SYSTEMS ‐‐
DEPLOYING THE VALUE TO THE DESKTOP OF PIPELINE INTEGRITY MANAGERS
 GIS Expert
Corporate, ARCMap Desktop
ESRI, GIS Specialists
(Power-Users / Data Edit)
Optional
GIS Server
Administration
CORPORATE GIS & DATA
SERVER NETWORK
Corporate Data
-PVR / FieldView
- Master Well List
- IHS Well Production Data
GITA’s GIS for Oil and
Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
Pipeline & Operations Specialists Technical & Business Services
GIS DEPLOYMENT & USER EXPERIENCE OPTIONS
Corporate – IE Web Browser Corporate – Intranet User
Pipeline Specialists Business & Technical Service Teams
Calgary / Field, Operations Calgary / Field, Operations
Pipeline Management Focus Operations / Regulatory Focus
Information Link 
CITRIX on Corporate 
CITRIX
Intranet Page
LAN
LAN LAN
LAN
Corporate
Web-ODIT
web -Server
GIS Data Processing & Services
Data Conditioning & Assessment
Monthly Update Process
Adhoc on-Demand Data Services
File-Based Data
MS-Excel Inventory Spreadsheets
Legacy Inventory Databases
Risk Assessment Worksheets
Network Connectivity Schematics
 ARCGIS-Based Data Conditioning with Customized ARCMap Tools

GIS Data Services

GDM Pipeline Data Source ARCMap Application & Toolbar

Network  • Creation of logical network

Connection  schematics based upon
Schematic  network connectivity results
• Auto-creator utility publishes
Generator an atlas of PDF versions of
Spatial Attributes (PL-100) Elevation (DEM)
schematics based upon
extent of network
Core Data Work Core Data Work connectivity
Step 1. Step 2.
ARCMap Application & Toolbar

ARCMap Application & Toolbar ARCMap Application & Toolbar Pipeline Risk  • Internal & external corrosion
Assessment &  likelihood
Production  Mitigation  • Environmental & economic
Network  consequence
Volume  Response
Connectivity • Recommendations f or risk
Apportionment mitigation activities

• Wells-to-pipes • Oil, gas & water

apportionment throughout ARCMap Application & Toolbar
• Pipes-to-pipes
• Pipes-to-f acilities complete network • D-071 EPZ Buf f er
• Facilities-to-pipes • Consideration of pipeline &
f acility attributes
ERCB Pipeline &  Calculations f or sour wells
• Consideration of well, and and pipelines to support
pipeline attributes (i.e. upstream water Well Compliance
dynamic layer presentation
• Consideration of proximity to separation, dehydration, in ARCMap
connection targets compression, group vs. test, • D-066 pipeline non-
• Assignment of connection pipeline loops) compliance events queries
conf idence scores • D-013 suspended well
• Presentation as distinct surveillance query
series of object classes to
support ARCMap
presentation of connectivity in
map layers
• Enables GUI to support
editingGIS
of connections Public Well Production
GITA’s for Oil and based Data Source
upon
Gas f ield red-lining
Conference process
Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 ARCMap Pipeline Network Connectivity & Flow Apportionment Tools

ENHANCED DATA DISPLAY AND ASSESSMENT
On‐Board Network Connectivity 
Algorithm
•Connections use proximity & attribute 
data for wells, pipelines & facilities
•Confidence scores applied to all 
connections as measure of quality
•ARCMap application enables editing of 
connections based upon field‐proof red‐
lining

10
Facility

10

10
Connect all Matching Pipeline – Ends
to Single Pipeline - Start 8

Facility
10

GITA’s GIS for Oil and

Gas Conference Calgary
Connect all Matching Pipeline – Ends
November 6-7, 2008 to each Pipeline - Start
 ARCMap Pipeline Network Connectivity & Flow Apportionment Tools

CONNECTIVITY
GIS DATA ASSESSMENT TOOL – NETWORK 
GITA’s GIS for Oil and
Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 ARCMap Pipeline Network Smart-Tree Connection Schematic Tool

GIS DATA DISPLAY – NETWORK SCHEMATIC TREE
GITA’s GIS for Oil and
Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
 ARCMap Pipeline Map Publication Atlas

GIS DATA DISPLAY ‐‐ MAP
Pipeline Management Information 
Layers
•Risk Assessment Results
•Flow Apportionment Results
•Pipeline Crossings
•D‐071 EPZ Buffers
•Hydraulic Bottlenecks
•Pipeline Inspection Data
•Pipeline Failure Data
•Interaction buffers with receptors

GITA’s GIS for Oil and
Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008
Map Print / Plot / e‐mail Interface
•Custom Map Creation
•Custom Layer Control
•Automatic Legend Generation
•Custom Title Block
•Map Annotation Feature
•Publication to PDF, with Layer Control
 Pipeline Assessment & Integrity Management Reports

GIS DATA REPORTS
GITA’s GIS for Oil and
Gas Conference Calgary
November 6-7, 2008