Risk-Based Pipeline Integrity Management Systems: A Case Study from Colombia

Historical data indicates that gas pipelines are a safe means of transportation, but to maintain these safety records, it is necessary to do more than just routine operation, inspection, and maintenance activities. What is required in present day? In short, it is a must to develop a corporate and organizational culture that includes in its scope continuous risk evaluation and mitigation within a ‘PIMS’ (Pipeline Integrity Management System).

A problem, common to all operators, is pipe aging: pipelines around the world are old and many are in poor condition. But in the case scenario for many countries in Latin America these old pipelines are within urban expansion areas and are surrounded by many more people and buildings that were expected at the original design stage. This is why operators must make additional efforts to rectify such situations: conventional maintenance activities are not enough to guarantee pipeline integrity and public safety.

This paper presents how Promigas, a Colombian pipeline operator,  has developed a PIMS based on semi-quantitative and quantitative risk assessment that has allowed focus on mitigation activities in most critical segments and has also  allowed for design of customized action plans for each segment, to give more efficient risk control.