Pipeline protection conference calls for papers

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 27, 2006

BHR Group's 17th International Conference on Pipeline Protection will be held in Edinburgh from 17th to 19th October 2007.

New legislation and growing pressure from the public and special interest groups is forcing pipeline operators to refocus attention on the wellbeing of their infrastructures.

The media are never slow to report environmental issues or problems with utility supplies and hardly a month goes by without news about polluting leaks from hydrocarbon pipelines or unacceptable losses from water mains.

Problems can arise in a number of areas.

Poor practices during installation or upkeep are often a primary cause.

Ageing infrastructures create new problems in terms of maintenance and replacement.

Sometimes the cause is progressive and unforeseen deterioration.

And occasionally there can be complete failure of the pipeline assembly and/or corrosion protection systems.

Pipeline owners and operators are often given the burden of remedy.

Safety and security are paramount and in some countries certification is already demanded as proof of standard.

The oil and gas industry has always sought the latest methodologies for protecting its pipelines.

The water and waste industry is also now demanding higher performance to extend the useful life of their pipelines.

Yet despite different requirements between industries many of the potential solutions are very similar.

BHR Group's 17th International Conference on Pipeline Protection will provide the latest information on research, developments and applications in this critical area.

The organisers have issued a call for papers for presentation at the conference, which will be held in Edinburgh from 17th to 19th October 2007.

This biennial event was established in 1975 and is now recognised as the premier technical event on the subject.

Building on the success of its predecessors the 2007 event presents an ideal opportunity for anyone involved in the commissioning, operation and maintenance of pipelines to share experiences across a wide range of applications and conditions.

The conference provides a unique forum for presenting practical solutions and debating the future direction of the pipeline industry.

Contributions are welcomed in the form of technical papers or case studies on all aspects of pipeline protection including current techniques and new developments.

The Technical Committee recognises the pool of knowledge within the oil and gas, petrochemical and water industries and welcomes papers from all sectors.

Priority will be given to new papers and novel solutions that discuss real applications and experiences.

It is likely that the programme will include papers covering the following themes: integrity, including safety, security, risk assessment, fit for purpose, security of supply, data acquisition, direct assessment and certification; internal drag-reducing coatings; monitoring and mitigation of mechanisms of deterioration including external and internal corrosion, stress corrosion cracking etc; surface preparation, external and internal coatings, including high temperature operation, cathodic protection etc; offshore including high temperature/high pressure, corrosion resistance, upheaval buckling; operation of very large diameter water pipelines; Maintenance, inline and online monitoring and risk modelling; and rehabilitation and remediation.

The conference is designed for pipeline owners, operators, contractors, coatings manufacturers and developers, consultants, designers, researchers and anyone associated with the oil and gas, chemical and water industries that needs to know about the best way to protect pipes and pipelines.