| Popis: |
Over the course of the British Columbia (BC)/ Washington State (WA) flood event, the pipeline restart preparation required a significant, sustained effort to complete a detailed assessment of the pipe’s integrity. Trans Mountain Corporation was able to develop a detailed Fitness-For-Service (FFS) assessment for the exposed pipe segments due to the flood and gain approval from the CER (Canada Energy Regulator) for a successful pipeline restart. On the evening of November 14, 2021, the Trans Mountain Pipeline LP (Trans Mountain) pipeline was shut down as a precautionary measure in response to an ongoing extreme rainfall event. There were multiple sites identified as critical pipe exposures where the pipeline was exposed and unsupported, or experienced mechanical damage, due to soil wash out. All confirmed exposure sites were reported to the CER and Trans Mountain responded in-field to support and protect the pipeline from flowing water, complete pipe inspections, determine the pipe’s FFS, and complete the required repairs before pipeline restart. This paper provides a summary of the FFS assessment that Trans Mountain completed to ensure the integrity of its oil pipeline system after the significant geotechnical event, and the process followed to develop the long-term integrity plans. |
