Pipeliners Podcast

In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Russel Treat welcomes the president of the Texas Pipeline Association, Thure (pronounced "Tur-ee") Cannon, to discuss pipeline regulations at the state level. You will learn about the differences between pipeline regulation at the state versus federal level, how Texans uniquely manage intrastate pipeline activity, and the latest research on the economic impact of the oil and gas pipeline industry on the Texas economy. If you are interested in pipeline regulations at the state level and how local communities influence pipeline projects, this is a must-listen episode.

In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat welcomes Nicholas Guinn of Summit Offshore Systems, Inc. to discuss the importance of IT for SCADA build and the logistics of managing compressors in pipeline operations. You will learn about the importance of understanding who will be using data and how the data will be used in a pipeline operation to define the SCADA system. You will also learn about various options for compressor optimization and how to prepare to adopt futuristic technology that will help operators develop a more robust system to meet future challenges.

Have you considered advocating for the energy and pipeline industries? You don't need an official position or a big title to advocate for smart energy practices in our country. In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, find out how David Holt of the Consumer Energy Alliance works with big players in Washington, D.C., oil and gas companies, and everyday Americans to find energy solutions that work for every community. You will also learn about the importance of educating friends, family, neighbors, and community leaders on supporting the expansion of clean energy capabilities that will reduce emissions and lower energy costs for individual households. Download this informative and important episode today!

This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast captures the importance of meter proving to generate accurate measurements from a pipeline and save companies money. To help identify key issues in the field, Russel Treat welcomes industry expert Jane Williams to the podcast to discuss meter proving, the frequency of conducting proving measurements, how to correctly conduct a prove, the different types of meters available to conduct measurement, plus more topics. Download this episode to get a better understanding of how meter proving works and the factors that impact crude oil and natural gas measurement.

In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Russel Treat welcomes Daniel Nagala of UTSI International Corporation to discuss the latest cybersecurity threats and awareness issues facing the pipeline industry. The conversation focuses on what Mr. Nagala has seen in the field -- both domestically and internationally -- to identify the various challenges facing pipeline operators. Included is how to integrate new system capabilities with legacy systems without exposing operators to security risks. Also included in this episode is a discussion of what was learned from the TRISIS malware attack and how to address vulnerabilities. Download this episode to become more aware of cybersecurity issues facing operators!

How much data is enough? This is a common question when evaluating your data acquisition capabilities and the individual needs of your pipeline operation, particularly when considering the Computational Pipeline Model (CPM) approach to leak detection. However, there is a better question to ask: what am I trying to do, what are the limitations of my SCADA infrastructure and how much data do I need to accomplish each critical function? In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat addresses the importance of knowing what you need the data for so that you can decide whether to gather a high volume of data or more detailed, accurate information from your instruments in order to improve performance of your leak detection system. The episode also covers the critical area of timestamping data so that pipeline controllers can read the data correctly, achieve situational awareness, and react appropriately. If you or your team deals directly with SCADA systems, this episode is for you!

For the first time on the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat dives into the fundamentals of pipeline leak detection with guest Giancarlo Milano of Atmos International. In this episode, you will learn about the fundamentals of leak detection including external and internal prominent approaches to leak detection. Then, Giancarlo walks listeners through various computerized approaches beginning with basic mass balance through to the more complex real-time transient model (RTTM) for leak detection, Statistical Volume Balance, and Negative Pressure Wave. Also, you will learn about the latest leak detection technology that is being used in the field and the importance of adhering to the API 1175 standard. Download this informative episode today!

Russel Treat welcomes guest Ardis Bartle to the Pipeliners Podcast to discuss the importance of measurement standard operating procedures. In this episode, you will learn about field practice, the contracts and standards in the industry that dictate how SOPs should be implemented, managing legacy procedures that are inherited with an acquired company, and how changes to measurement technology affect SOPs. You will also learn about the most important acronyms in measurement standard operating procedures: API, AGA, GPA, and SOX. Listen to the episode to find out more.

For the first time on the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat dives into the topic of measurement analytics. To facilitate the discussion of this important topic affecting the future of the pipeline industry, Bruce Wallace of Peak AI Solutions joins Russel to discuss analytics, Big Data, learning algorithms, and more relevant issues. Listeners will learn about the different schools of thought related to learning algorithms, the importance of a measurement data management system, and how artificial intelligence will affect the future of pipelining as new technology is adopted and implemented.

Before you can take a deep dive into SCADA technology, you need to understand how to simplify the SCADA build. In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Russel Treat and guest Scott Williams review the ins and outs of setting up SCADA systems, getting buy-in from key stakeholders, and cutting off issues in the beginning to prevent headaches later in the process. You will learn that simplifying the SCADA build is about analyzing your available systems, planning the build, communicating in all phases, and making sure teams are on the same page to complete the project.

In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, you will learn about the important topic of inline pipeline inspection with guest Marc Lamontagne. Included is a discussion of the history of pigging and the three categories of threats to pipeline integrity. You will be in the same position as host Russel Treat walking through the pigging process, what tools are available to identify specific integrity threats, and the difference between axial and circumferential magnetic tools. Finally, the discussion concludes with a focus on the technology to capture data from an inline pipeline inspection. Learn how an active data management program or system can help manage risks, find anomalies, and then take action repairing leaks.

Would you like to know how a DOT-compliant control room is built from scratch? Do you want to understand the latest details of what should be included in a control room to comply with the CRM Rule? In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat welcomes Matt McClure of Oasis Midstream to discuss his experience standing up control rooms. This discussion covers the full spectrum of what goes into a new control room, including furniture, rest areas, SCADA systems, High Performance HMI, and more topics of interest. Russel and Matt also discuss the CRM Rule for control room management, including the considerations that go into training controllers to operate in a pipeline control room, ensuring safety and compliance following the Marshall Incident.

In the first Pipeliners Podcast episode of 2018, host Russel Treat welcomes Ross Adams back to the podcast to discuss the timely topic of control room team training. This episode goes into detail about the new frequently asked questions (FAQs) published by PHMSA at the start of this year. What do the FAQs mean for implementing the latest roles and responsibilities? What do they mean for the team training requirements for the pipeline control room? Also included in this episode is background on what originally led to these addendums to the Control Room Management Rule and why the FAQs are an important resource for control room managers.

In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat delivers his take on the PHMSA Pipeline Advisory Committee meetings held in December in Washington, D.C. After attending these meetings, Russel relays the information that came out of the discussions, what the conversations were among industry leaders and regulators, and what is coming in the future for pipeliners. Get ahead of the game before the latest changes are implemented by listening to this week's episode!

Do you want to feel instantly smarter? Listen to ICS cybersecurity guru, author, hacker, and educator Clint Bodungen talk to Pipeliners Podcast host Russel Treat about the latest cybersecurity issues and threats affecting the pipeline industry. Learn about the history of cybersecurity, threats that involve national security, and the rapidly-changing technology that helps assess new and unique threats to know how to react in each situation.

What is a High Performance HMI? Learn about the intricacies of this approach to the control room HMI from Jeremy Coleman of Northwest Natural, including how the high performance HMI delivers enhanced visual information to the control room enabling operators to more rapidly understand the operating condition. In this podcast episode hosted by Russel Treat, you will also learn about the history of the High Performance HMI and the latest technological developments, including how to the High Performance HMI manages the high volume of data available from SCADA.

Russel and William Gage discuss why cybersecurity matters for operators, what good security looks like, and why even places like churches need it.

Russel talks about Control Room Management and PHMSA guidelines with Ross Adams. They look ahead to new developments with PHMSA and what tools exist to help operators meet these requirements. Don't forget to visit the website pipelinerspodcast.com for a chance to win a Yeti tumbler!

Russel and guest Dan Turner talk about the Internet of Things and what it means in a SCADA context. They consider issues with communication and security and look ahead to how technology will change pipeline industries.

Welcome to the Pipeliners Podcast hosted by Russel Treat. This is a podcast for pipeline professionals and Bubba geeks who want to learn more about the world of pipelines.