GeoCorr Blog

Most of the time, we think gas pipelines are only associated with filling up fuel tanks when it comes to highway traffic. However, interstate agencies and utility networks run over and under one another to maintain safe operations. As a result, there are sometimes unfortunate events involving highway traffic and its relative effects on pipelines. Take a look at how highway traffic correlates with damage to pipelines.

Cold weather, concerns about probable disruptions to Russian supplies, and delays to the planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline pushed gas prices near record highs recently. Due to an early cold spell and reduced Russian flows, Europe's gas storage levels might approach record lows by the conclusion of the winter heating season, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe statistics. This would leave consumers and businesses with substantially higher costs for a longer period of time than previously anticipated.

A new study shows that the oil and natural gas industry will play a key role in post-pandemic economic recovery and employs some 11.3 million workers across all 50 U.S. states.

Pipeline integrity is crucial to keeping America’s 2.6 million miles of pipeline safely delivering oil, gas, and other much-needed fuel products across the country.

Pipelines continue to be the safest and cleanest way to ship the oil and gas that keeps the U.S. economy moving.

Flooding events are on the rise in the United States and that could put America’s critical infrastructure at risk including oil and gas pipelines compromised by riverbed erosion.

The Texas Railroad Commission, which given its name seems more likely to have more in common with Amtrak than fracking, uniquely plays a key role with jurisdiction over the Lone Star State's oil and gas pipelines.

The wrath of Hurricane Ida last month illustrated once again how natural disasters can affect oil and gas pipelines.

Reuters reported that the Category 4 storm caused widespread power outages and had oil and gas pipeline operators scrambling to inspect infrastructure for damage.

Enbridge, according to Reuters, was mobilizing crews to assess its facilities and had declared it was temporarily suspending some contracts under force majeure on two offshore pipelines, its Nautilus Pipeline and Mississippi Canyon Gas Pipeline.

Onshore pipeline projects may cost 4 to 6 percent more by the end of 2022 as labor, raw materials and transportation prices surge according to Rystad Energy analysis.

Rystad Energy -- an independent energy research and business intelligence company, released its report Aug. 9, 2021 – says that materials, which account for 30 to 40 percent of the total costs for a pipeline, are expected to increase 2 to 3 percent and may approach $1 million per kilometer in leading pipeline regions such as the United States.

Pipeline Inspection companies and their crews need to be flexible enough to handle various pipeline dimensions with new pipeline projects starting in the United States in 2021 ranging from 6 inches in diameter to 42 inches.

There was a time when inline inspections with intelligent pigs could only handle large dimension pipes but advancing technology now allows for pigging devices to handle cleaning and inspections of smaller diameter pipes, all the way down to 3 inches.