The Kinder Morgan Permian Highway Pipeline is coming through Blanco, but how is it monitored?
One way is the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, which is monitored 24 hours a day at the control center located in Houston, said Allen Fore, KM vice president public affairs.
“We have an ability to monitor our system remotely 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which will include the ability to determine if there are any issues with the pipeline from a pressure perspective,” he said. “If there was a lowering of pressure or there's something that doesn't seem right, we can control our system from Houston and potentially, if necessary, shut it down.”
This will be the primary system and will maintain the pipeline pressures, volume and flow rates and the status of pumping equipment and valves. KM’s website states that “both automated and manual valves are strategically placed along the pipeline system to enable the pipeline to be shutdown immediately and sections to be isolated quickly, if necessary.” It will also control the compressor stations and how much the gas is compressed, since the compressor stations aren’t running all the time.
The compressor stations will also be monitoring the pipeline, however, a person will not be on site all the time. Additionally, there will be aerial patrols typically every other week. Personnel in the area and line riders will also frequently be monitoring the pipeline.
According to KM’s website the “primary function of the line rider is to perform daily surveillance of the area pipeline system in order to protect and ensure the integrity of the pipeline system by avoiding third party damage.” These line riders will be able to answer landowner questions once the pipeline is serviced and be able to investigate any issues or concerns with a landowner’s permission.
An internal inspection of the system, called an inline inspection, is typically done every few years. A computerized piece of equipment is run through the pipeline to test the integrity of the line from the inside/ For example, it will let Kinder-Morgan know if there is any thinning of the wall. The company is required to follow the U.S. Department of Transportation’s regulations, rules, and protocols. “... a whole host of agencies are involved because this is all about the integrity of not just one pipeline but our whole energy supply and transportation system, gas, electricity, all of that,” said Fore.
Cathodic Protection System
There are already several pipelines currently operating that run through Blanco County and many across the state of Texas. These are unnoticeable because the land has been restored and grass covers the pipes. Plastic markers, yellow sticks with a yellow or orange top, indicate that a pipeline runs through.
“Contrary to popular belief, the land is restored and grass grows over it and you can't tell there's a pipeline there,” Fore said. “The only thing you have is the marker, so over time development comes up to the edge of our pipeline right of way.”
The pipeline is only 42 inches, so there is room on either side for a buffer
because there is 50 feet. The pipeline could not be built next to the other pipelines because people have built right up to the others, and Kinder Morgan needs the 50 feet.
“We can’t control what everyone does all the time, but if we see something, like a backhoe out there near our right-of-way, we're going to be concerned about that and we're going to go tell one of our line riders to go out and find out what's going on out there,” explained Fore.
Digging around a pipeline should be avoided because one might accidentally scratch it, so it’s best to contact Kinder Morgan beforehand. This is one way a pipe could possibly corrode.
Currently, the steel pipes sitting in the pipe yard are green because of the corrosion resistant epoxy coating. This is the first layer of protection for the pipe; after the pipes are moved to their designated right-of-way and are welded together, another coat of epoxy will be applied.
Once the pipe is underground, the cathodic protection system is placed on top of the coating to make sure that it remains corrosion free. The system will have anodes that draw any corrosion away from the pipeline.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website, the cathodic protection systems “help prevent corrosion from occurring on the exterior of pipes, by substituting a new source of electrons, commonly referred to as either a ‘sacrificial anode’ or ‘impressed current anode.’ Both systems operate by imparting a direct current onto the buried pipeline, using devices called rectifiers. As long as the current is sufficient, corrosion is prevented, or at least mitigated and held in check. In most cases, coatings on the exterior of a pipe are used in conjunction with cathodic protection system. Coatings have a high dielectric strength, which prevents the flow of electrons to the pipe’s surroundings, thus interrupting the electro-chemical reaction of the metal with its environment.”
There will be cathodic protection nodes placed along the route. “This pipe will not corrode if it's not scratched and the cathodic protection is in place,” said Fore. The cathodic protection will extend the life of the pipeline making it able to be in service for generations.
Fore also explained that the pipeline should not spontaneously rupture, and if it is impacted, it’s usually by an external force. Because it is caused by an external force, KM does not have control over it, but the extensive monitoring can help the situation, he said.
Pipeline construction has already begun in the western part of the state. KM expects to get final permissions in place to begin construction in the Hill Country in the first half of 2020.
