Inspectioneering

Pipeline Integrity Management

Explore this topic

Pipeline Integrity Management (PIM) is the cradle-to-grave approach of understanding and operating pipelines in a safe, reliable manner. PIM programs are systems managed by pipeline owner-operators that consider all stages of the pipeline life cycle, from conception, to engineering and design, construction, operation, inspection, and finally to repair/replacement when necessary.

In the United States, pipeline operators are required to abide by regulations put forth by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), at a minimum. Among other things, these regulations require all oil & gas transmission companies to perform regular baseline evaluations of pipelines in areas where pipeline failure would have a significant impact on public safety or the environment.

Relevant Links

Topic Tools

Share this Topic

Contribute to Definition

We welcome updates to this Integripedia definition from the Inspectioneering community. Click the link below to submit any recommended changes for Inspectioneering's team of editors to review.

Contribute to Definition
Articles about Pipeline Integrity Management
Online Article

This article presents a risk-based inspection (RBI) approach for the assessment of offshore subsea pipelines, accompanied by a practical case study.

September/October 2023 Inspectioneering Journal

Now adapted for pipeline inspections, machine learning technology is being used in the field to predict material loss and uncertainty.

November/December 2022 Inspectioneering Journal

From 2010-2020, more than 30% of the pipelines involved in spilled incidents had at least one ILI that collected data at the point of the accident. In September 2021, the third edition of API Std 1163 was published. What is new? What is important?

November/December 2021 Inspectioneering Journal

In cases where material embrittlement caused by hydrogen is a concern, evaluations using fracture mechanics to assess the reliability and integrity of steel pipes exposed to cyclic loads are necessary.

July/August 2021 Inspectioneering Journal

The scope of the subject case study reviews an inspection and corrosion control assessment conducted on subsea flowlines and includes evaluating the flowlines’ associated inspection programs and identifying all available NDT technology solutions.

Partner Content

AET is a powerful, non-intrusive inspection technique to verify the structural integrity of pressure vessels, spheres, high-temperature reactors and piping, coke drums, above-ground storage tanks, cryogenic storage tanks, and more.

March/April 2021 Inspectioneering Journal

This article will discuss a statistical analysis method that was developed to evaluate the integrity of pipelines that can identify, in a first phase inspection, whether the nature of the active damage mechanism(s) are uniform (general) or localized.

Authors: Marcos Delgado
November/December 2020 Inspectioneering Journal

Through a combination of new ILI technology and non-destructive in-situ techniques, all the necessary tools and processes are now in place and available to operators around the world to proactively improve their integrity management systems.

Authors: Jason Edwards
May/June 2018 Inspectioneering Journal

This article details the experience an oil company had when using FEA to evaluate the implications of a damaged pipeline. Specifically, it presents an efficient method that combines analytical techniques with FEA to determine the pipeline’s...

November/December 2017 Inspectioneering Journal

This article explains the Statistically Active Corrosion Assessment, which is a tool for determining appropriate and realistic corrosion growth rates which can assist pipeline operators in optimizing the value of in-line inspection data.

July/August 2017 Inspectioneering Journal

Composite technology developed for pipeline repair can be a cost-effective method of improving safety while keeping maintenance costs down. However, composite materials present significant challenges to conventional NDT methods.

Partner Content

Equity Engineering Practices® (EEPs) are a collection of design and maintenance focused corporate standards that include >850 engineering standards, and >300 piping classes. Enhance your mechanical integrity programs, improve equipment...

November/December 2016 Inspectioneering Journal

This article exhibits how modern inspection methodologies combined with innovative computational analysis practices demonstrate the value of conducting fitness-for-service (FFS) assessments on sectional piping.

July/August 2016 Inspectioneering Journal

Joint integrity management remains at the top of many operators’ priority list.  The discipline considers risk and drives safety to ensure we learn necessary lessons from past catastrophic failures, such as the Piper Alpha explosion in 1988,...

Authors: Neil Ferguson
May/June 2016 Inspectioneering Journal

This is the second article of a two-part series published in Inspectioneering Journal, which is intended to provide a basis for understanding the differences between traditional tapped-transformer, fixed voltage type rectifiers, and High Frequency...

Authors: Gary Mulcahy
March/April 2016 Inspectioneering Journal

The objective of this article is to demonstrate the inherent value of an interactive and detailed GIS landscape, emphasize the importance of industry standardization, and encourage regulatory agencies and operators to systematize and incorporate...

January/February 2016 Inspectioneering Journal

Pipeline management remains fraught with safety risks for operators and the environment. Last year, the Ontario Energy Board determined that a $12 billion oil pipeline proposed by TransCanada Corp. would pose more risks than rewards for the province.

Authors: Vipin Nair
Partner Content

Statistical techniques are meant to complement the work of SMEs and can provide deeper insights into the inspection data collected as part of a reliability program. Pinnacle has combined traditional methods, expertise, and Machine Learning to...

November/December 2015 Inspectioneering Journal

Understanding the common factors that promote corrosion threats in the oil and gas value chain helps operators create effective inspection strategies.

November/December 2015 Inspectioneering Journal

This study provides valuable information for offshore pipeline operators curious about how composite repair systems could be utilized with their assets.

Authors: David A. Hunter
July/August 2015 Inspectioneering Journal

This is the first article of a two-part series to be published in Inspectioneering Journal and will provide a basis for understanding the differences between traditional tapped-transformer, fixed voltage type rectifiers, and High Frequency Switched...

Authors: Gary Mulcahy
May/June 2015 Inspectioneering Journal

Pipeline integrity is critical to ensure maintenance and operational efficiency; however it is becoming an increasingly challenging task for the energy industry. Maintenance managers and inspectors must make sure their pipeline(s) and its associated...

May/June 2015 Inspectioneering Journal

Machine-to-Machine connectivity combined with advanced computing capabilities and industry-focused software enable a wide range of new capabilities. From smart homes controlled over the internet, to smart electric grids with smart meters, sensors...

Partner Content

Ethos has assembled a team of experts who apply what they learned through years of process safety experience in the industry and dealing with OSHA and EPA. Click here to learn more about our services.

May/June 2015 Inspectioneering Journal

For traditional in-line inspection (ILI) vendors, considering 21.4 miles of a piggable 4” diesel pipeline is typically not a big deal. However, significant threats like 3rd party damage and external corrosion seem to come with the territory in...

May/June 2015 Inspectioneering Journal

Historically, regulations regarding dent severity have been governed by one of two metrics: dent depth or strain. In the case of the former, plain dents with a depth up to 6% of the nominal diameter are permitted in both gas and liquid pipelines....

May/June 2015 Inspectioneering Journal

Verifying pipeline integrity is particularly challenging due to the difficulty of pipeline access, as well as the limitations in available technology to perform subsea wall thickness inspections. These challenges require action rather than reaction.

January/February 2015 Inspectioneering Journal

In the Oil & Gas business we have hundreds of event process chains, each of which bears a cost and contains certain elements of risk. So what can we do to reduce our burden and improve our business? Let’s take a look at the current state of...

Online Article

Jim Svetgoff, Corrosion Advisor at Devon Energy recently interviewed with American Business Conferences for the Crude Pipeline Asset Integrity Congress 2014.

Partner Content

Oceaneering's splash zone inspection services will help you confidently detect flaws and accurately extend asset life with our comprehensive inspection and fitness-for-service maintenance plans.

September/October 2014 Inspectioneering Journal

Recently developed RFID best practices provide an opportunity for pipeline businesses to transform their asset management and pipeline integrity management processes away from traditional paper-based systems to more efficient, highly-integrated...

September/October 2014 Inspectioneering Journal

The pigging industry has developed a tremendous range of techniques and technologies, and it is probably fair to say that there are few pipelines in the world that cannot be cleaned and inspected, although the success of such operations will often...

Authors: John Tiratsoo
May/June 2014 Inspectioneering Journal

An adequate characterization of the Keystone XL special conditions from the perspective of pipeline integrity and risk would be advantageous from the system onset for identifying latent flaws in the system spill prevention plans.

Authors: Sergio Oliva
November/December 2013 Inspectioneering Journal

Inspectioneering recently had the privilege of speaking with Tom Wanzeck, Vice President of Integrity Services with Willbros Group, Inc. Tom spent more than 20 years managing assets on the owner-operator side before making the leap to the service...

Authors: Tyler Alvarado
Partner Content

Companies have developed detailed programs for managing wide range of assets. However, unsustainability negatively impacts effectiveness of these programs. Reach out to us on how we can address sustainability through digital transformation.

September/October 2013 Inspectioneering Journal

Even though oil and gas pipelines and their related facilities are generally safer for people and the environment compared to other means of transportation, occasional leaks and failures due to corrosion and other defects have become an issue in...

Authors: Joe Pikas
September/October 2013 Inspectioneering Journal

Now, more than ever, pipeline owners and operators are under intense scrutiny to ensure safe and dependable pipeline systems.

Authors: Rex Schrunk P.E.
September/October 2010 Inspectioneering Journal

As the oil and gas industry matured regulators and the public have become more and more aware of the risks inherent in the business and increasingly require pipeline owners to demonstrate and document the safe and environmentally acceptable...

November/December 2009 Inspectioneering Journal

Pipeline integrity management programs are largely driven by regulatory compliance and are typically budgeted years in advance. Operators of all sizes are looking for ways to reduce expenditures related to operational efficiency and safety in order...

Authors: Stefan Papenfuss
January/February 2009 Inspectioneering Journal

Progress has been made in this area over the last 5 to 10 years. Here is a listing of helpful references for managing pipeline integrity that represents a lot of that progress and experience. It is by no means exhaustive. To the best of our...

July/August 2007 Inspectioneering Journal

The integrity of pipelines is a natural concern for pipeline operators, and so the ability to detect corrosion, erosion and mechanical damage in pipes is therefore of significant interest. Traditional methods of detection, such as pigging and...

January/February 2007 Inspectioneering Journal

NACE International has approved two highly anticipated standards dedicated to the control of internal pipeline corrosion.

September/October 2006 Inspectioneering Journal

Active corrosion in onshore and offshore pipelines is an increasing problem. Consequently, pipeline operators regularly use intelligent inspection pigs to detect and size corrosion. Inspection data can be combined with probability based...

Authors: F Egan, D G Jones, J Healy
    Videos related to Pipeline Integrity Management
      White Papers related to Pipeline Integrity Management
        Events related to Pipeline Integrity Management
          News related to Pipeline Integrity Management

            Inspectioneering Journal

            Explore over 20 years of articles written by our team of subject matter experts.

            Company Directory

            Find relevant products, services, and technologies.

            Training Solutions

            Improve your skills in key mechanical integrity subjects.

            Case Studies

            Learn from the experience of others in the industry.

            Integripedia

            Inspectioneering's index of mechanical integrity topics – built by you.

            Industry News

            Stay up-to-date with the latest inspection and asset integrity management news.

            Blog

            Read short articles and insights authored by industry experts.

            Expert Interviews

            Inspectioneering's archive of interviews with industry subject matter experts.

            Event Calendar

            Find upcoming conferences, training sessions, online events, and more.

            Downloads

            Downloadable eBooks, Asset Intelligence Reports, checklists, white papers, and more.

            Videos & Webinars

            Watch educational and informative videos directly related to your profession.

            Acronyms

            Commonly used asset integrity management and inspection acronyms.