A new method for risk assessment of pipelines was developed within the framework of a joint research project which provides means to discover and analyse the operational risk of pipelines and gives assistance engineers in prioritising pipeline sections and optimising maintenance and inspection activities. In order to achieve this objective, the pipeline categorisation method developed by the University of Miskolc evaluates aspects related to the probability of failures and aspects related to the consequences of failures. Based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis, pipeline sections are classified into five risk categories. Aspects in-cluded in the categorisation method are identical from the viewpoint of their weight, however with selecting different limit values in the assessment, it can be achieved that some aspects have more influence than others, even it is also possible to add and omit certain aspects. This makes the categorisation method very flexible and customisable. The risk assessment is supported by computer software developed for this purpose. After calibrating, fine tuning and testing the method, it was implemented by the Hungarian Oil and Gas Co. which now acts as a technical regulation and is used to provide guideline for determining the priority of baseline inspections and the frequency of subsequent inspections.
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