Pipeline construction projects are large, complicated ordeals. Innumerable occurrences combine to make it all come together, and any number of things can derail those plans. Projects can be held up for years by politics. Or activists. Or market concerns. Or simply failing to use the most dependable beveling equipment, pipe clamps and welding tools can…

Science Demands it! The peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters has published a study showing replacing aging gas pipeline had a tremendous effect on reducing the number and severity of leaks. That seems obvious, right? In an article in the Stanford Report, science professor at Stanford and co-author of the study Rob Jackson somewhat…

[image credit: Google image/http://texasalliance.org/oil-gas-pac/] How do we compare As July 4th approaches, it’s time to pat America on its proverbial back, which I suppose is somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The American Petroleum Institute published some numbers that chart the energy production of nations compared to individual states here in the U.S., and guess what,…

Special tools known as in-line inspection tools or smart pigs are sent through pipelines to inspect the pipe for damage or corrosion that could lead to leaks. [image credit:www.neb-one.gc.ca | Google image search] Spill Prevention The recent oil spilled from a pipeline in California might bring to mind questions regarding the safety of pipelines. As…