Growing PRCI Membership Tackles Inline Inspection, Regulatory Concerns

摘要

Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI), which has led the drive for more reliable pipeline technologies since 1952, recently selected new research projects to fund for the coming year. In an energy environment increasingly focused on safety and driven by regulatory concerns, its members chose to concentrate on improving inline inspection (ILI), preventing third-party intrusions along rights-of-way and compiling data that could enable changes from the EPA over compressor pump regulations. "The PRCI membership is made up of the operators of the pipelines, so they are familiar with the challenges they face on a day-by-day basis," said Cliff Johnson, president of PRCI. "The priorities are arrived at through a culmination of factors." Once PRCI polls its members for a list of their concerns and priorities, the organization works with key trade associations and governmental bodies for additional ideas. This time around, members whittled preliminary proposals of about $22 million down to about $12 million, prior to approval at the board of directors' meeting Sept. 9 in Boston.