A zero accident strategy for oil pipelines: Enhancing HSE performance Academic Article in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • © 2020, Society of Petroleum EngineersThis work provides options to reduce the number of oil pipeline adverse events caused by human actions, poor performance of facilities, accidents, emergencies, and external events. These alternatives provide useful tools to decision makers to prevent such events and improve the security, integrity and resilience of existing oil and gas transportation infrastructure. This research implements an in-house visualization software that is based on Structured Query Language (SQL), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and publicly available data. The system stores, sorts, and processes strategic geo-referenced data: pipelines infrastructure, transported volumes, sociodemographic factors, land use, illegal pipeline taps, and area impacted by oil pipelines incidents. By identifying the main factors that could impact the pipeline infrastructure, the system generates several graphical representations to assist in risk analysis. The work also analyses and proposes improved pipeline monitoring systems, emergency responses protocols, and non-technical tools to address operational and safety challenges for oil pipelines near local communities. The results provide valuable information for the formulation of policy and regulations to enhance pipeline safety. This work develops a comprehensive strategy based on data analysis, monitoring systems, emergency response protocols and non-technical tools to assist decision makers to improve operational safety and prevent events that could cause serious damage to local communities.

publication date

  • January 1, 2020