LOWELL, Mass. – TRC, a leading provider of end-to-end engineering, consulting and construction management solutions fueled by innovative technology, has joined with T.D. Williamson (TDW) to support pipeline operators with safe, reliable and efficient services to get them in compliance with the new federal “Gas Mega Rule.”
The Gas Mega Rule – the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s revisions to 49 CFR Parts 191 and 192 – is expected to go into effect in August.
“The main challenges that operators face with the upcoming Gas Mega Rule are material verification, maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) reconfirmation and records/data management (storage, access, availability or quality),” said Mike Kirkwood, director of integrity engineering solutions for TDW. “This joint service offering will offer a one-stop shop solution to alleviate those challenges and create a value-added path forward to compliance and pipeline safety.”
The partnership between TRC and TDW brings together two powerhouse pipeline service providers that have a passion for pipeline safety and have been supporting pipeline integrity operators for decades. By linking up they are creating a seamless service offering that will save clients both time and money.
“In the current pipeline integrity market, there is not one service provider that can provide a gap analysis, create a plan to gather the necessary information moving forward, perform the necessary inspections and material tests to fill those gaps, and analyze the findings to recalculate the MAOP to ensure compliance with the rule,” said DeWitt Burdeaux, TRC’s director of pipeline regulatory services. “This partnership changes that by providing a single team that can deliver a holistic solution for operators with gaps in their material records.”
“This partnership not only increases the quality and safety of the work product, but also increases efficiency in the field by eliminating the need to take assets offline,” added Jeff Wiese, TRC’s senior vice president of integrity services.
Using TRC’s Strategic Advisory Service (SAS) Assessment of discovery, gap analysis and action planning, the team will determine the existing condition of the traceable, verifiable and complete pipeline asset records and data to calculate MAOP. TRC and TDW then review the assessment and define a clear and cost-effective path forward.
TDW then uses its innovative approach, which includes unique in-line inspection (ILI) technologies and non-destructive examination (NDE) testing, to eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming pressure testing. Its patented positive material identification (PMI) uses a variety of non-destructive tools and techniques to generate traceable, verifiable and complete pipe records for in-situ pipe material verification, providing trusted results that help operators to avoid shutdown. This process creates an individual solution tailored to the specific asset conditions and generates a system-wide approach.
When TDW has completed its ILI run and field verification and have validated PMI, it works with the SAS team at TRC for a data and results hand-off. TRC reconfirms MAOP, creates documentation, updates the operator’s GIS system and assists with data management best practices.
About TDW
For nearly a century, TDW has helped customers around the world safely transport product to their communities. These partnerships demonstrate our commitment to collaboration, shared learning, and dialog among pipeline professionals. TDW delivers a comprehensive portfolio of safe pipeline system solutions for onshore and offshore applications, including advanced isolation and repair, integrated pigging and integrity assessment solutions. For more details on the spectrum of products and services, please visit our website at www.tdwilliamson.com.
About TRC
Groundbreaker. Game changer. Pioneer. Since the 1960s TRC has set the bar for clients who require more than just engineering, combining science with the latest technology to devise innovative solutions that stand the test of time.
Today we are a global consulting firm for the oil and gas, power, environmental and infrastructure markets. TRC’s 5,000 professionals work with a broad range of commercial, industrial and government clients and the communities they serve. We deliver breakthrough solutions that address local needs – so our clients can better succeed in an ever-changing world.
TRC is ranked #20 on ENR’s list of the Top 500 Design Firms in the United States.
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T.D. Williamson
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