Learn how you can bridge your PHMSA compliance gaps and introduce new value to your pipeline integrity management in our Achieving PHMSA Compliance in the New Digital Era Webinar
In the past year, PHMSA has put the pressure on pipeline operators across the United States to ramp up their pipeline integrity management efforts – both in the field and in their records. To establish a program that mitigates pipeline threats and provides complete, accurate information to regulators – you need the right data.
Through the use of advanced AI-driven analytics and autonomous aerial monitoring systems, platforms for aerial data can help you establish an industry-leading pipeline integrity management operation that goes above and beyond PHMSA requirements.
First published in October 2019 and recently brought into effect in July 2020, PHMSA introduced three major rules that revise federal pipeline safety laws in the pursuit of greater safety in pipeline infrastructure across the nation – otherwise known as the Mega Rule. With these rules PHMSA sought to ensure pipeline operators focus investment on the improvement of pipeline safety and integrity management.
Among the laundry list of amendments in these wide-reaching rules, there are major changes to the status quo of pipeline monitoring:1
If you’re reading this with a sense of apprehension as you reflect on the outdated state of your records, take small comfort that you’re likely not alone. Paper records going back to the 1940s aren’t uncommon in this industry, and needless to say, many pipeline operators were caught off-guard. Not to mention, the increase in inspection requirements are daunting for any pipeline integrity manager.
While adapting to these changes won’t be without cost and effort, why not view this as an opportunity to realign your business for the digital future? Traditional paper records don’t provide the real-time information needed to run an efficient business, while taking the steps to better monitor your pipeline can enable better decision-making.
Plus, with the right technologies in place you can build an integrity management program that does more than check the boxes that prevent regulatory and legal hassle. You can get the data you need to intelligently protect your pipeline through preventative maintenance.
Platforms for aerial data help you address these new challenges through the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology. With autonomous UAVs sourcing high-quality imagery of your pipeline ROW in the field and AI refining it into the actionable issues along your line – you can generate a variety of valuable models and insights for your integrity efforts.
The first advantage comes in the form of a complete digital, visual update of your pipeline. From the thousands of images collected during a UAV inspection, photogrammetric mapping techniques can be applied to create a spatially-accurate orthomosaic. The orthomosaic serves as a great base layer to create a holistic pipeline record, which you can layer operational data and other sensor data over.
Speaking of data to layer over an ortho, what if you could visually pinpoint anomalies that are critical for your team to investigate? A picture may be worth a thousand words, but AI can tell you which of those words are worth your time. Through the use of neural network models and algorithms, AI can detect and categorize pinpoint structures, equipment, construction, erosion, vegetation growth, or other issues impacting your right-of-way. With these threats identified, you can work to mitigate them and assure you’re running a PHMSA-compliant operation.
The value of this workflow only increases with time. Every inspection is a data set, and AI can compare new and historical inspections for change detection analysis. This is essential for catching critical issues that start small and grow bigger over time – such as ground movement issues outlined in the PHMSA Mega Rule. Change detection is also invaluable in assessing how your ROW has been impacted in the wake of extreme weather events or natural disasters.
With routine and consistent monitoring, this aerial data becomes a living breathing record of your asset. Data doesn’t lie, and by combining your latest real-time report with historical data, you have a complete timeline of asset integrity that will more than satisfy PHMSA investigators.
The PHMSA Mega Rule is about obtaining and integrating data in a way that gives you the necessary insight to prevent pipeline failures. Aerial data platforms help you unlock the predictive analytics your pipeline management team needs to do just that:
That last point is a crucial one, because your PHMSA Mega Rule compliance efforts are going to go beyond just what you see outside your pipeline. What’s happening in your line is equally important.
Regulatory compliance doesn’t have to be a burden. Aerial data platforms can handle the bulk of the workload, getting you the data you need to satisfy PHMSA while introducing new efficiencies and value to your operation. The future of pipeline integrity is built on digital platforms and intelligent data analysis. With the introduction of the PHMSA Mega Rule, the time to embrace that future is now.
Register for our Achieving PHMSA Compliance in the New Digital Era Webinar