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PHMSA Advisory Bulletin: Protecting Pipelines During Extreme Winter Weather

By Erin Kurilla posted 9 hours ago

  
On February 11, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)  issued the Advisory Bulletin on Protecting Pipeline Integrity During Extreme Winter Weather, Rapid Thaw, and Geohazard Events. The advisory bulletin reminds operators of safety threats to pipelines, including:
  • Heavy Snowfall and Ice Accumulation, which can impose significant external loads on above-ground pipeline facilities.
  • Rapid Winter Thaw and Flooding, which can expose buried pipelines or undermine supports of above-ground facilities
  • Frost Heave and Ground movement, which may exert unusual stresses or stains on pipelines which may lead to buckling, girth weld failures, or the propagation of existing cracks.
  • Ice Expansion, where water trapped inside components may expand and cause damage to valves, pipes and fittings.
PHMSA recommends that owners and operators consider implementing the following measures:
  1. Accelerate Field Patrols
  2. Monitor Unusual Cold Zone
  3. Review Geohazard Plans
  4. Inspect Above-Ground Facilities
  5. Winterize Above Ground- Facilities
  6. Communicate with Emergency Responders
 
PHMSA continues to remind operators and regulators that Advisory Bulletins do not have the force and effect of law and are “not meant to bind owners, operators, or the public in anyway.”

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