Lowering Pipeline Costs Through Applied Technology

摘要

To many people, pipelines are a passive thing and the technology of building and operating them is relatively simple and stable. Learn how to weld two pipes together, repeat that over and over and a pipeline is the result. How can there be much room for cost improvement after all these years? This paper describes the experiences of Canada's major natural gas pipeline builder/owner/operator in implementing new technology in the industry in response to social, competitive and shareholder drivers. Cost-consciousness at every step is critical to ensure optimum mechanical and commercial performance of a facility that can have a lifespan of half a century or more. Successes in applications including high strength steels, mechanized field welding, specific purpose design methods and risk-based maintenance are summarized. The importance of technology management, as a subset of overall project management, is stressed as a key element of life cycle cost control.