Topic: Modeling

Note: the following answers are short and direct, sometimes omitting information that might be helpful for full understanding. Please consult your copy of the book or other resources on this site for more complete answers.

The PHMSA has recently criticised how Integrity Management Plan (IMP) risk assessments (RAs) for pipelines are being conducted. Do you also see problems?

There is a wide range of practice among pipeline operators right now. Some RA is admittedly in need of improvement, not yet meeting the intent of the IMP regulation. However, I believe that is not due to lack of good intention, but rather incomplete understanding of risk. Risk is a relatively new concept, and is […]

What’s wrong with my current scoring, indexing approach?

Some of the more significant compromises arising from the use of the simple scoring type assessments included: Without an anchor to absolute risk estimates, the assessment results were useful only in a rather small analysis space. The results offered little information regarding risk-related costs or appropriate responses to certain risk levels. Results expressed in relative […]

Risk Assessment is an investigative journey

Formal risk management has become an essential part of pipelining. As an engineered structure placed in a constantly changing natural environment, a pipeline can be a complex thing. Good risk assessment is an investigation into that complexity; providing an approachable, understandable, manageable incorporation of the physical processes potentially acting on a pipeline: external forces, corrosion, […]