Pipeline Integrity
Our team is comprised of seasoned industry experts with extensive skills who are always looking for innovative solutions when developing the right pipeline integrity program for you.
We know that your pipelines are a valuable asset to your business. At Vision Integrity, our pipeline integrity team works to preserve the life of your pipelines and reduce the risk of failures. We support your compliance by implementing CSA Z662-19 Clause 3 “Safety and Loss management systems” and Annex N “Guidelines for pipeline system integrity management programs”. Every client has unique needs and levels of risk tolerance. We work with you to develop customized solutions that fit your requirements. Our team is comprised of seasoned industry experts with extensive skills who are always looking for innovative solutions when developing the right pipeline integrity program for you.
What We Do
Our experts work closely with our clients to plan, prepare, and implement compliant integrity programs. This includes the development of programs, manuals, and procedures. Our team performs risk assessments and engineering assessments in order to prepare a comprehensive program. Once the program has been created and implemented, we can provide training and record management solutions to make the implementation as efficient and smooth as possible.
If you already have a pipeline integrity program in place, we can review and enhance that program. We can also provide you with a regulatory liaison (AER, OGC, MER, CER) and regulatory advice. We complete both corporate and field program audits to ensure you are remaining compliant to regulations and to your integrity program. We also assist in the integration of acquisitions.
Vision Integrity offers solutions for your pipeline throughout its lifetime. We work with pipelines at every stage of life, from design to construction, operations, maintenance, and retirement. This includes inspections and NDT, ILI assessments, Chemical Program review, and pressure test yield plotting.
Pipeline Engineering Assessments
Engineering Assessments are a key element of CSA Z662-19 Cause 3 ‘Safety and loss management system’. This latest version of the standard references many situations to implement an engineering assessment. These situations cover the ‘could’, ‘should’, and ‘shall’ scenarios. Over the years, Vision Integrity has developed an engineering assessment approach which is lean, to the point, and effective, as demonstrated through repeat regulator approvals with minimal follow ups.
Vision Integrity’s engineering assessments support the more typical tasks including operating pressure amendments, substance changes, sweet-to-sour service approvals, pipeline reactivations, and general pipeline and system integrity reviews. Increasingly, engineering assessments are utilised as a critical part of our clients’ management of change (MOC) programs.
We also support clients with engineering assessments to evaluate pipeline visual and In-Line Inspection (ILI) or smart pigging results. This entails checking and assessing results against codes and standards then making recommendations to amend or maintain the pipeline integrity program, to further evaluate specific defects or anomalies, to continue to monitor defects or anomalies on a prescribed schedule, or to repair critical locations. These engineering assessments are key elements in the planning and implementation of dig programs.
To further support the service, we liaison with field/facility operations, office management, service providers, and the regulator.
Pipeline Risk Assessments
Vision Integrity utilises a pipeline risk assessment model developed to satisfy regulatory requirements and to be flexible enough to take into account each clients operational approach and risk thresholds.
The Vision Integrity model and reporting follows the requirements of CSA Z662-19 Clause 3 ‘Safety and loss management system’ (SLMS), Annex B ‘Guidelines for risk assessment of pipeline systems’, and Annex N ‘Guidelines for pipeline system integrity management programs’.
The model considers many of the elements identified within Annex H ‘Pipeline failure incident records’ including design and operating conditions, materials and product, location and water crossings, internal and external hazards, third party interference, construction, and mitigation and monitoring activities. The various elements and hazards have assigned weightings based on industry data and experience. Should a client wish to place a higher or lower weighting on any element of the model this can be completed quickly at no additional cost.
Another valuable component to the model is that it provides a dollar value to the consequences of a pipeline failure. This feature supports identification of the pipeline within a clients corporate risk matrix.
The model can be easily tailored for single pipelines through to extensive upstream systems of interconnecting tie-ins, wells, batteries, satellites, and facilities. The model ensures the full inventory of a clients pipelines are risk ranked, and quickly identifies where deficiencies or gaps exist in the integrity management program.
The risk assessment output of ranking the pipelines from High to Low focuses attention on the critical pipelines. This supports the decision-making process for the integrity management program and engineering assessments, management of change, and leak detection program.
Reporting is concise and easily provided at individual pipeline, system, field, and corporate levels. The reporting is flexible, and data can be presented as per client requirements.
Pipeline Leak Detection Programs
It is a mandatory regulatory requirement for companies to have pipeline leak detection systems. The detail, arrangement, and implementation of a pipeline’s leak detection system will vary depending upon specific regulatory requirements and the integrity management program and risk tolerance of each client.
Vision Integrity supports our clients with the preparation and implementation of compliant leak detection strategies, programs, and procedures. These leak detection documents and programs ensure regulatory compliance with CSA Z662-19 Clause 10.3 ‘Integrity of pipeline systems’ and Annex E ‘Sales quality liquid hydrocarbon pipeline leak detection’, and also identify where to focus resources and budget to pipelines with the greatest risk and consequences should a leak or spill occur.
The objective of the Vision Integrity approach is to identify the most appropriate leak detection system for each pipeline from a regulatory compliance standpoint and from an integrity standpoint. From these two standpoints decisions can be made regarding the need to install new leak detection systems to new pipelines, supplement existing leak detection systems, retrofit leak detection systems to existing or acquired pipelines, and maintain existing leak detection systems.
We can present the leak detection documents and programs quickly and efficiently, allowing easy integration into clients’ existing management systems.
How We Add Value
Vision Integrity’s asset integrity team has many years of experience. In an industry with increasing pressures to prevent environmental impacts, having the right people working with your team is essential. We ensure that your environmental impact remains low while your efficiency remains high.