Latest Tools for Mobile GIS in the Natural Gas Industry
Latest Tools for Mobile GIS in the Natural Gas Industry
Esri EGUG 2013 Nathan Sills Area Director Randall Hackworth Area Director
www.magnolia-river.com
Overview • The hot topic of safety awareness for natural gas operations, coupled with difficult economic times, has focused many organizations on “working smarter, not harder." • Advancements and integration of mobile technology and GIS allows natural gas companies the ability to increase daily operating efficiencies. Smart phones & tablets now provide operators and inspectors the ability to update geodatabases in the field, saving time, money, and improving accuracy.
Overview • Managing this in a GIS gives operators a better method for their distribution or transmission integrity plans (DIMP and TIMP) and their data integrity. It also allows prioritization of automatically assigned tasks (such as leak reports and cathodic protection checks) through analysis of geographic features (such as Class 3 or 4 structures in a High Consequence Area (HCA)). • This presentation will discuss the latest tools for mobile GIS in the natural gas industry and how to increase efficiency while ensuring compliance requirements are met.
Background • Enhanced regulation of transmission pipeline systems was initiated in 2002 by the then Department of Transportation Office of Pipeline Safety. Since that time, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) as the Office of Pipeline Safety is now known, has taken notice that there are many more miles of natural gas distribution pipelines, which are usually found in urban, densely populated areas, than miles of gas transmission pipelines.
Background • PHMSA has investigated a number of pipeline failures in recent years that resulted in loss of life, injury, and property damage. Therefore, PHMSA undertook the challenge to expand its pipeline integrity initiative into the area of distribution pipelines. This ‘expansion’ has led to increased regulation of distribution lines and the requirement that local gas distribution companies implement a distribution integrity management program as a method of ensuring the safer operation of gas distribution systems.
Background • A distribution integrity management program (DIMP) is a written set of plans or guidelines that will be followed by a gas distribution operator in order to increase and maintain the safety and reliability of the operator’s gas system. Though many variations of distribution integrity management programs exist, any written DIMP must address the basic requirements of the PHMSA guidelines. Once written, the distribution integrity management program becomes a perpetual program and must constantly be evaluated and updated.
DIMP Guideline • The DIMP guideline requires operators to perform the following tasks in their written plan: • Ensure System Knowledge • Identify Threats • Evaluate and Rank Risks • Identify and Implement Measures to Address Risks • Measure Performance, Monitor Results, and Evaluate Effectiveness • Periodically Evaluate and Improve Program • Report Results
GIS Solution for DIMP • To properly identify, analyze, evaluate, and address risks as DIMP calls for requires identifying each element of risk by spatial location. This need leads to the conclusion that Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) risk analysis is best accomplished by leveraging the geography of the risk factor. The ability to leverage geography to analyze risk is the foundation of an effective risk management and DIMP compliance. • So bring on GIS!
GIS for Natural Gas • Natural Gas Operators Require A Flexible System: – Integration of Desktop Tools with Field/Mobile Devices – Integration of Multiple Platforms • Windows • iOS • Android
– Support for Disconnected (Stand-Alone) and Connected Scenarios
• So bring on GIS!
GIS for Natural Gas • Field Technicians Need to be Able to: – – – –
Collect inspection and installation information in the field. Maintain paperless records while on the go. Access work-order maps instantly. Store all records in a centralized location through cloud computing. – Identify assets and critical infrastructure near the user’s location in the field for greatly reduced hunt-and-search activities.
Gas Networks Can Get Complicated – Planning (Engineering design, route selection analysis, class location) – Modeling – Project Management – Construction – Inspection – Directional Boring (HDD Design) – Cathodic Protection – M&R Design – GIS Tool Development – GPS Data Collection – Software Design – Airborne Data Acquisition
Geospatial Integration Includes
* * * *
Layout, Routing, Surveying and Mapping LiDAR Data Acquisition and Processing Photogrammetric Mapping ESRI Software for Georeferenced Data
* 3-D Imagery * Corridor Mapping * High Resolution Aerial Imagery * Digital Elevation Model
Summary • Working smarter, not harder, to efficiently operate utility companies and public works departments is critical in today’s environment. Having the right tool for the job has never been more important. Integrating desktop and field/mobile devices for complete solutions makes complex projects easier.
THANK YOU!
Nathan Sills Randall Hackworth 256.773.9420 [email protected] [email protected]
www.magnolia-river.com
Esri EGUG 2013 Nathan Sills Area Director Randall Hackworth Area Director
www.magnolia-river.com
Overview • The hot topic of safety awareness for natural gas operations, coupled with difficult economic times, has focused many organizations on “working smarter, not harder." • Advancements and integration of mobile technology and GIS allows natural gas companies the ability to increase daily operating efficiencies. Smart phones & tablets now provide operators and inspectors the ability to update geodatabases in the field, saving time, money, and improving accuracy.
Overview • Managing this in a GIS gives operators a better method for their distribution or transmission integrity plans (DIMP and TIMP) and their data integrity. It also allows prioritization of automatically assigned tasks (such as leak reports and cathodic protection checks) through analysis of geographic features (such as Class 3 or 4 structures in a High Consequence Area (HCA)). • This presentation will discuss the latest tools for mobile GIS in the natural gas industry and how to increase efficiency while ensuring compliance requirements are met.
Background • Enhanced regulation of transmission pipeline systems was initiated in 2002 by the then Department of Transportation Office of Pipeline Safety. Since that time, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) as the Office of Pipeline Safety is now known, has taken notice that there are many more miles of natural gas distribution pipelines, which are usually found in urban, densely populated areas, than miles of gas transmission pipelines.
Background • PHMSA has investigated a number of pipeline failures in recent years that resulted in loss of life, injury, and property damage. Therefore, PHMSA undertook the challenge to expand its pipeline integrity initiative into the area of distribution pipelines. This ‘expansion’ has led to increased regulation of distribution lines and the requirement that local gas distribution companies implement a distribution integrity management program as a method of ensuring the safer operation of gas distribution systems.
Background • A distribution integrity management program (DIMP) is a written set of plans or guidelines that will be followed by a gas distribution operator in order to increase and maintain the safety and reliability of the operator’s gas system. Though many variations of distribution integrity management programs exist, any written DIMP must address the basic requirements of the PHMSA guidelines. Once written, the distribution integrity management program becomes a perpetual program and must constantly be evaluated and updated.
DIMP Guideline • The DIMP guideline requires operators to perform the following tasks in their written plan: • Ensure System Knowledge • Identify Threats • Evaluate and Rank Risks • Identify and Implement Measures to Address Risks • Measure Performance, Monitor Results, and Evaluate Effectiveness • Periodically Evaluate and Improve Program • Report Results
GIS Solution for DIMP • To properly identify, analyze, evaluate, and address risks as DIMP calls for requires identifying each element of risk by spatial location. This need leads to the conclusion that Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) risk analysis is best accomplished by leveraging the geography of the risk factor. The ability to leverage geography to analyze risk is the foundation of an effective risk management and DIMP compliance. • So bring on GIS!
GIS for Natural Gas • Natural Gas Operators Require A Flexible System: – Integration of Desktop Tools with Field/Mobile Devices – Integration of Multiple Platforms • Windows • iOS • Android
– Support for Disconnected (Stand-Alone) and Connected Scenarios
• So bring on GIS!
GIS for Natural Gas • Field Technicians Need to be Able to: – – – –
Collect inspection and installation information in the field. Maintain paperless records while on the go. Access work-order maps instantly. Store all records in a centralized location through cloud computing. – Identify assets and critical infrastructure near the user’s location in the field for greatly reduced hunt-and-search activities.
Gas Networks Can Get Complicated – Planning (Engineering design, route selection analysis, class location) – Modeling – Project Management – Construction – Inspection – Directional Boring (HDD Design) – Cathodic Protection – M&R Design – GIS Tool Development – GPS Data Collection – Software Design – Airborne Data Acquisition
Geospatial Integration Includes
* * * *
Layout, Routing, Surveying and Mapping LiDAR Data Acquisition and Processing Photogrammetric Mapping ESRI Software for Georeferenced Data
* 3-D Imagery * Corridor Mapping * High Resolution Aerial Imagery * Digital Elevation Model
Summary • Working smarter, not harder, to efficiently operate utility companies and public works departments is critical in today’s environment. Having the right tool for the job has never been more important. Integrating desktop and field/mobile devices for complete solutions makes complex projects easier.
THANK YOU!
Nathan Sills Randall Hackworth 256.773.9420 [email protected] [email protected]
www.magnolia-river.com
