Canada's pipeline regulator revises quality programs

摘要

In recent months, Canada's National Energy Board (NEB) has expanded the scope of its previous safety advisory and draft order regarding the quality assurance of pipeline materials. In late 2015, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released a pipeline investigation report on a 2013 gas pipeline rupture incident that concluded the pipeline failure was due to the pipeline operating beyond its temperature design limits. However, during the investigation, the TSB also noted that fittings used on that pipeline contained materials that did not meet the appropriate specifications. While these fittings were not the incident's direct cause, they raised a red flag and the NEB began investigating the issue immediately.