3D Visualization Software for Mapping Underground Pipelines and Improving Pipeline Asset Management

Institute of Gas Technology dba GTI Energy

Recipient

Des Plaines, IL

Recipient Location

37th

Senate District

68th

Assembly District

beenhere

$1,482,965

Amount Spent

closed

Completed

Project Status

Project Result

The team demonstrated the software tool at various locations with SoCalGas and PG&E. In addition, the team identified a new subcontractor, which is a locating company, to test and demonstrate the software tool at two sites. The demonstrations were successful, and the project has been completed.

View Final Report

The Issue

A contributing factor to pipeline incidents is inaccurate or missing data within the data records maintained by pipeline installers, owners, and operators. Current methods and tools for locating pipeline assets are highly dependent on pipe diameter, depth of cover depth, and other environmental factors. Another issue with current pipe locating methods and tools is their inability to provide accurate vertical information to determine how far beneath the surface the pipeline assets lay. The lack of accuracy, completeness of data records, and reliable locating methods and tools make buried pipeline assets susceptible to safety issues and integrity threats, such as excavation damages.

Project Innovation

The project developed and field demonstrated a 3D visualization software tool for mapping underground pipelines with better accuracy and improving pipeline asset management. The project team created field-based and cloud-based software tools that acquire, process, and analyze data in real time from pipeline locating tools and other sources. The software aggregates several existing and proven technologies and assembles data from different sources into one software platform, which supports the implementation and adoption of new business processes designed to achieve operational performance improvements.

Project Goals

Improve the horizontal and vertical pipe locating capabilities by supporting operations with new data
Reduce damage risk by providing access to location information for underground infrastructure
Enable field-based collection data of buried pipelines and provide field-based access to data in near real-time
Provide a more efficient means to maintaining accurate spatial data of underground infrastructure

Project Benefits

In 2018, 58% of the damages to underground facilities in California affected natural gas infrastructure. Poor or inaccurate locating of the facilities is a significant contributor to these damages. Knowing the accurate location of these facilities helps to prevent damages. Having real-time access to data in three-dimensions helps to automate and supplement fieldwork, provide situational awareness to operators, and increase productivity in the field as well as overall safety.

Lower Costs

Affordability

This proposed technology can help reduce overall costs by improving data quality and reduce operator errors through having access to proper locating equipment and more accurate pipeline asserts data.

Greater Reliability

Reliability

The proposed technology helps to improve the reliability of gas supply by enabling real-time access to more complete and accurate data of pipeline assets, providing operators reliable data during regular maintenance and emergencies, and reducing the possibility of gas outages.

Increase Safety

Safety

The proposed technology can increase safety by providing accurate location of underground pipelines in real-time and enabling situational awareness that can reduce excavation and other damage related to not knowing the location of gas components.

Key Project Members

Project Member

Shannon Katcher

Subrecipients

Rocket

Trident Environmental &amp

Rocket

Engineering, Inc.

Rocket

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