API-2-1  Support for Standardization of Weld Testing Methods - Phase I (read more)

CPS-1  Characterization of Lube Carryover in a 2-Stroke LB NG Engine (member link)

CPS-1A  Advanced Control Techniques and Sensors for Gas Engines with NSCR (member link)

CPS-1A  Field Test of Advanced NSCR Sensors & Monitoring (member link)

CPS-4-3  Small-Scale Compressor Station Waste Heat Recovery: Conceptual Design and Economic Analysis (member link)

CPS-7-8  Pump Test Facility Characterization Study (member link)

CPS-8-2  Greenhouse Gas Emission Factor Improvement & Development for Selected Transmission and Storage Sector Sources (member link) (public link)

CPS-13C  Experimental Evaluation of Multiple Oxidation Catalysts on a Natural Gas Engine Slipstream (member link)

EC-2-3  Leak vs. Rupture Boundary for Pipes with a Focus on Low Toughness and/or Ductility (member link)

ENV-6-1  Field Validation of Surface Loading Stress Calculations for Buried Pipelines - Phase I (read more)

MATR-3-7  Reinforcing Vintage Girth Welds with Composite Materials (read more)

MEAS-1  Smart USM Diagnostics - Phase II (member link) (public link)

MEAS-6-2  Meter Station Design Tool - Phase II (read more)

PRCI announces its 2013 Research Portfolio as approved by the Board of Directors at its September 2012 meeting in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Member contributions of over $10.3 million were allocated to programs and projects addressing pipeline operations and integrity, corrosion control, design, materials, construction, and facilities. "Through the collaborative research model that PRCI employs we have developed a research agenda for 2013 that will continue to deliver on the organization's core mission of technology development in support of safer and more environmentally friendly energy pipeline infrastructure around the world. Knowledge base, technologically superior tools, and sound process are keys to success for any company engaged in the transportation of energy via pipelines. PRCI is focused on advancing the underlying technology that impacts all three of these components and the 2013 program is consistent with that goal and the recently developed global pipeline R&D roadmap," stated Eric Amundsen, Chair of PRCI. (read full story)

The 2013 PRCI Research Program has been initiated and we would like to thank the volunteers leaders from the member companies for their hard work and dedication. Below is the 2013 Technical Committee leadership roster. Committee members are a crucial part of PRCI's operating model, a partnership between members and staff that has produced industry defining research for over 60 years.
 
Compressor & Pump Station
Chair: Curtis Pedersen, TransCanada
Vice-Chair: Ralph Dickau, Enbridge
 
Corrosion
Chair: Laurie Perry, SoCalGas
Vice-Chair: Dharma Abayarathna, Williams
Vice-Chair: Shahani Kariyawasam, TransCanada
Vice-Chair: David McQulling, Energy Transfer
 
Design, Materials & Construction
Chair: David Horsley, BP
Vice-Chair: Arti Bhatia, Alliance
Vice-Chair: Rick Gailing, SoCalGas
 
Measurement
Chair: Kerry Checkwitch, Spectra
Vice-Chair: Angela Floyd, BP
 
Operations & Integrity
Chair: Mures Zarea, GDF Suez
Vice-Chair: John O'Brien, Chevron
 
Underground Storage
Chair: Tim Maddox, NiSource
 
PRCI's 2013 Program addresses a spectrum of research needs and opportunities covering nearly every aspect of pipeline operations.
(read full story)

There are still spaces available to attend the Research Exchange! The 7th Annual PRCI Research Exchange Meeting is scheduled for February 5-7, 2013 in Dallas, Texas. The Research Exchange Meeting is an annual technical conference that provides PRCI member companies, our key research partners, and external stakeholders with a report on the important research results and outcomes for completed and select ongoing research projects and programs for 2012. The Research Exchange Meeting is one of the key venues used by PRCI to deploy the results of its R&D projects and programs, and continues to be viewed by our member company representatives and partners as one of the leading pipeline industry conferences that provides the opportunity to exchange best practices on applying PRCI's R&D outcomes and network among other pipeline professionals and peers. (read full story)

 PRCI has begun preparations for the 19th Biennial Joint Technical Meeting (JTM) on Pipeline Research. The meeting will be hosted by the Australian Pipeline Industry Association Research and Standards Committee (APIA RSC) together with the Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre (EPCRC), and is scheduled from April 29 - May 3, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. The JTM is a world-class forum where representatives of APIA, European Pipeline Research Group (EPRG) and PRCI meet every two years to exchange information concerning their recent and ongoing research activities. The JTM reflects the most significant collaboration in pipeline research formed by the tripartite partnership of PRCI, EPRG, and APIA who together have members operating on five continents. (read full story)

As reported in the prior edition of Throughput, the US DOT PHMSA released a Research Announcement in October 2012 that identified 20 separate topics being considered for government R&D funding. The Research Announcement solicited pipeline research projects/programs that target a wide range of challenges identified from the July 2012 R&D Forum that was sponsored by PHMSA and the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR). These topics cover technology development and the generation of new knowledge in the areas of Threat Prevention; Leak Detection; Anomaly Detection/Characterization; Anomaly Repair and Remediation; and Design/Materials/Welding/Joining/Valves. In the Research Announcement, PHMSA requested White Papers to define research projects and/or Consolidated Programs to address each of the topics. The Research Announcement indicates that PHMSA expects to provide up to $10 million of base R&D funding to support projects and programs identified as being responsive to the announcement. (read full story)