Welcome to the Pike Liners Podcast, episode 263, sponsored by Gas Certification Institute, providing standard operating procedures, training and software tools for custody transfer measurement and field operations personnel. Find out more about gcigascertification.com. The Pike Liners Podcast, where professionals, public eks and industry insiders share their knowledge and experience about technology, projects and pipeline operations. And now your host, Russell Treet.
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To learn how you can win this signature prize, stick around to the end of the episode. This week, it's just me. And what we're going to do is we're going to walk through all of the content that we have on the Pike Liner Podcast related to leak detection and talk about how you might be able to use that to orient, equip, train, engineers and control room people on leak detection. So early on, when we started podcast, one of the first guests that I had a number of times was Giancarlo Milano with Atmos International.
And we did a whole series kind of starting with the very fundamentals of leak detection and walking through the different kinds of things that are done. We started talking about transient modeling. So transient modeling is using software to build a mathematical model of the pipeline and then model what the pipeline should be doing. Simply stated, you're basically performing hydraulics and comparing the mass balance of the fluid moving through the pipeline based on what the model is saying, you should be seeing and comparing that to what you're actually seeing off of the metering.
So we talk in that episode a lot about the complexities associated with building and maintaining a transient model for leak detection. We also talk a little bit about where transient models come from. They actually started as a mechanism for doing pipeline design and then as they became more advanced, they started evolving to take real-time data and use real-time data to do real-time hydraulic modeling of pipeline. So in the following episode, which was episode 25, we talked about a different approach to leak detection and that's a statistical approach.
So the transient modeling approach, the complexity is in maintaining the math model. So whenever you change the configuration of the pipeline, you add a station, you add an interconnect, you modify some links of pipe in their diameter, you change the fluid properties of the pipeline. Whatever you do that, you have to modify the model configuration to keep it well-tuned to perform leak detection. In a statistical approach, it's a little bit different.
What it's looking at is what is happening with pressure and volume over time and then we're doing statistical analysis to say, well, this condition looks like something that might be a leak. Now, the advantage of a statistical process is you don't have to have as rigid a definition of the pipeline and all the details about its configuration, valve locations, pipe locations, pipe details, fluid details, etc. Rather, what you do is you build a statistical model and look for differences over time. So they're easier to maintain.
The flip side is they need to be tuned. So a statistical model, once it's implemented, you have to let that model learn over time and then you have to do tuning. So both transient models and statistical models require ongoing care and feeding, if you will. But in those two episodes, we really dig deep into the details of how those things work.
Then we move on with Giancarlo and in episode 26, we talked about negative pressure wave. So negative pressure wave is a mechanism for listing either acoustically or monitoring pressure signals and seeing pressure waves as they move up and down a pipeline system. So pipeline system is going to see a pretty standard pressure wave for a given fluid and for a given flow rate through a given pipeline section. But if I introduce a leak, then that pressure wave is going to change because that fluid escaping the pipe is going to create a change in the pressure wave.
I'm actually going to be able to hear the difference when I say here, I don't mean like with your ear, I mean here, like with instrumentation. So we talk about that technology and how it's applied in the field and how it's used to detect the tech leaks. Negative pressure waves requires instrumentation in the field. It has the advantage of a high degree of accuracy and fairly precise location of a leak once it sees it.
So that's kind of the basics of leak detection. And then in episode 27, Giancarlo and myself, we talk about rupture detection. So this is kind of interesting. I'm going to come to this a little bit later, but leak detection is generally constrained when you're using math models or computerized pipeline monitoring is generally constrained by the meter accuracy and to get a leak detection on a leak that's less than 1% is very, very difficult because that's starting to go inside the uncertainty of the meter.
So a 1% leak, while maybe small in terms of total flow, could be a fairly significant leak on a large pipeline. So rupture detection is a different thing. Rupture detection is looking for a very large leak and the idea is to catch that and detect quickly and with certainty. So we wrapped up this five episode series talking about leak alarm response and training.
So when you have a computerized pipeline model put in place to support leak detection and you get a leak alarm in the control room, it's very important that the controllers understand the process for leak alarm response. Leak alarm response is challenging because these systems that detect leaks through software through monitoring the real-time data feeds, there's a lot of things that can look like a leak that are not in fact a leak, changes in fluids in a batch system, opening and closing of valves, starting and stopping of pumps, all those things can trigger a leak alarm without actually being a leak alarm. So in this episode, we talk about what's the process that you want you to get alarm, what do you do, and then we also talk about what's the training necessary in the control room to be able to do an effective job of leak alarm response. So those episodes were actually recorded in 2017 and while all the software vendors have continued to improve and modernize their tools, we're really talking about the fundamentals of those technologies and how they work.
So all that content is still relevant today. So that's an important thing to understand. In addition, we created a bunch of links or show notes in each of the episode pages and there's a full transcript of the episode. So you can listen to this content or you could actually go to the website and read the content or search the content and it's there to be used.
It's there so that pipe liners can go and use that for research, can grab it and use it to create technical or training content. So I highly encourage you, if you have an interest in leak detection, won't know how it works, go back to that set of five episodes and listen through. So computerized pipeline monitoring is one type of leak detection. The other thing we did with Jason Dalton, Dan Sinsle and Kyle Miller at Marathon Pipeline, we did a whole series of episodes on hydraulic modeling and other things.
But one of the things we did is we did an introduction to API 1175. So API 1175 is leak detection program management. So that's looking at the totality of what you do for leak detection. So things like fiber optics, aerial surveys, cameras, you know, all the different kinds of technologies, 1175 is really designed to say, hey, here's how you do leak detection and totality.
So in episode 53, we begin to break that down and we talk about how that's been implemented in the engineering group at Marathon. And then I would also mention that more recently on the pipeline technology podcast, episode 24, Jason Dalton was on with me and we talked in detail about the revisions to API 1130, which is computerized pipeline monitoring and API 1175, which is by the lead detection program management and talked about how that evolves. So this actually tees up another interesting subject in the context of leak detection. And that is building appropriate program around leak detection so that the leak detection program is auditable.
So API 1130 is incorporated by reference in in 49 CFR 195, which is the regulatory requirements for liquid pipelines. Set another way, leak detection implemented in compliance with recommended practice 1130 is a requirement for liquid pipelines from a regulatory perspective. So in episode 189, Karen Meyer with Atmos International came on and we talked about how do you build an auditable leak detection program using API 1130 as a basis. So in addition to talking about the software and how it should be configured and what you should do with legal arms, API 1130 also addresses all the things that need to happen in the system to ensure reliability around instrumentation, communications, and so forth.
So if you look at this, if you kind of organize this content this way, it kind of builds on itself, I guess that's the point that I'm trying to make. In episode 69, we also talked to Jason Dalton Dan since on Kyle Miller about instrumentation issues in leak detection. This is a really big deal, getting a getting a good handle on your instruments, monitoring those instruments for proper performance, making sure they're checked and calibrated and picking instruments that have the right level of sensitivity and performance to get to the level of performance you need from leak detection is really critical. So there's more, it's more to this than just getting the data in, you have to make sure that the instrumentation and the communications network that's moving that data operated a standard to support the level of quality you're looking for out of your leak detection system.
That's what we talk about in episode 69. And then kind of as a capstone about leak detection from a software standpoint, we had Adrian Kane from Atmos on episode 152 and he talked about practical applications of leak detection, like how is it actually used, where does it add the most value, and we talked about that from an international perspective. So again, good content. So in addition to these episodes that are addressing the leak detection systems, we also cover a couple of other things.
One is the regulatory framework around this and the other is using image analysis of patrol for leak detection. So start by talking about the regulatory frame. So Keith Coel, who's an attorney with Babs Callan and kind of a perennial guest on the podcast, was on in episode 151. And we talked about the valve and rupture rule.
So this was as the rulemaking was kind of getting to the point of final rule, about a year, year and a half before it actually came out as final. And we were talking about the background and, you know, the things are rulemaking and what was going to be required of operators around the valve and rupture rule. And then in episode 246, with fake credit from Burns McDonald, we had a conversation about how to apply the valve and rupture mitigation rule from a practical standpoint. So kind of taking the regulatory requirements and understanding where all they exist in the code and what are the things that, you know, pipeline operator needs to be doing in order to implement the valve and rupture rule.
So instead of another way, you know, all this stuff around computerized pipeline monitoring, most of that is not only is it trying to look for ruptures, but it's also trying to look for smaller leaks, leaks in the one to, you know, 20% of nominal flow kind of range, where rupture detection is just finding a, you know, something that's looking like 30% or more of nominal flow and finding it quickly. And then we've also done a number of episodes, other methods of leak detection, particularly around aerial. So in episode 180, we talked with Roddy Ring about using drones to perform pipeline patrol and when that conversation was largely around drones versus aircraft. In episode 2015, we talked with David Yoll about taking the data that you get from any kind of aerial patrol, whether it's drone or aircraft, whatever, and processing that data to provide real-time reporting for actionable information so that your aerial patrols very quickly, not only do you just get the photography or the imagery, but you also get that imagery analyzed saying, here are the areas that look like they may need attention that something could be going on.
So if you look at all of those episodes that we've done since inception, it's a total of 14 episodes. That's about seven and a half hours of audio content, much of which is quite technical and is really designed to help operators learn and understand what are the various technologies, how are they applied, what are the complications, all of those kinds of things. So I wanted to cover this because what I have found myself doing, and I work in leak detection and I work in control of what I found myself doing often, is referring back to these episodes, going to the content on the website, looking at the transcripts, and using that material to support reports or analysis or other things I'm doing in the domain. It's actually become quite a resource for me.
I also have the gift that if I have a question I'm trying to answer, I find some smart person and get a record of podcast episode with me and often get to an answer, at least get pointed in direction to do the work I need to do. So I would just encourage you if you find this to be a value, go to the website, start to look at this material and see what's there that might be helpful to you and to your team. And let me know. You can either reach out to me on LinkedIn.
I'm pretty easy to find, just search my name, Russell Treat. I think you'll pretty quickly find me. You can message me on LinkedIn. I respond to all of that generally within a day or two.
Sometimes it takes a little longer if I got stuff going on, but I'm very deliberate and intentional about making sure anybody takes the time to reach out and ask the question. I do respond back. You can also get to me through the contact us page on the Pipeline Podcast Network website. That works as well.
I'd be very glad and very interested to hear what are you finding that's helpful. And if you look at this information, you say, you know, I really need to know more about fiber optics. I really need to know more about some other type of specialized content around lead detection. Let me know.
If you know somebody who you think would be a good guest, that's helpful, but it's not required. But let me know what you'd like to hear and learn more about in this domain. And I will take the time to try and find that person as a guest, bring in that expert and have the conversation and continue to work to create more content so that we can continue to educate through our conversations. So I hope you enjoyed this week's episode of the Pipelineers Podcast, my conversation about lead detection and all the content that we have on the website.
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If you have ideas, questions, or topics you would be interested in, please let me know on the contact us page at pipelinepodcastnetwork.com or reach out to me only thanks for listening. I'll talk to you next week.