Topic: Risk Management

Pipelines, along with other aspects of the oil and gas business, have become controversial. While controversy can arise from many different agendas – some as far-reaching as ending reliance on hydrocarbons as a fuel source – many controversies are based purely on safety concerns.

Life Cycle Risk–An HDD Example

Life cycle risk assessment is an interesting topic in and beyond the integrity management field. This article features a discussion of this special type of risk assessment applied to a certain pipeline installation method, in this case, HDD installation. In previous articles, we’ve discussed some non-regulatory integrity management program applications of pipeline risk assessment (including […]

Seduced by graphics: the myth of risk management by images

While there are a number of visual techniques that can help in interpreting large amounts of data, many graphical analyses provide little to no value for in-depth risk assessment. Here we explore some common graphical techniques and discusses why they can’t replace data analyses in risk management. Seduced by Graphics: The Myth of Risk Management […]

Property Damage vs Release Volume

While we should view database-input information suspiciously, insights may nonetheless emerge.  Joel Anderson recently compared the reported property damage costs with the reported release volumes in PHMSA data 2010 to 2018. spill vol vs prop damage cost This is just pipeline spills, excluding tanks, etc.   Note this plot is log-log scale so small changes can equate […]

Risk Profiling

Pipeline Risk Assessment—Risk Profiling In earlier installments of this column, we introduced the concept of pipeline risk assessment Essential Elements (EE’s).  That guideline is a list of ingredients that must be included in any pipeline risk assessment before that assessment can be considered complete.  Following these guidelines helps to ensure a technically sound risk assessment […]

Where is the Risk Control Strategy?

In an earlier article, we noted that risk management is, in effect, often unintentionally delegated to decision-makers occupying the lower portions of the corporate org chart.  In many companies, the field personnel are essentially setting corporate risk levels via their choices in day-to-day activities and their perceptions of priorities. While we noted some advantages of […]

Formal Risk Assessment—Is it helping me?

Ever consider that true risk management sometimes occurs only at the lower levels of some pipeline organizations?  That is, personnel performing field activities are in effect setting risk levels for the company.  Their choices of day-to-day activities are essentially driving risk management and thereby establishing corporate risk levels.  This is not just theoretical—real choices are […]

Risk Management Resources

Articles <!– Where is the Risk Control Strategy? –> Is formal risk assessment helping me? Pipeline risk assessment as a tool for resolving conflict Pipeline risk assessment: risk profiling Full understanding of pipeline risk generates numerous opportunities to reduce that risk. So previous chapters have already identified risk mitigation opportunities. Reducing exposure, increasing mitigation or […]