Quarterly Newsletter to Emergency Responders Winter 2012 - Volume 5

Canadian edition

page 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE◊ Learning&

RespondingTogether:TabletopDrillswithKinderMorganCanada

◊ KeepingPipelinesSafe:MonitoringandLeakProtection

◊ PipelineConstruction:FocusonIntegrity

◊ PipelineEmergencyResponseTactics:WildfireSafetyNearTransmissionPipelines

◊ OdourReportInvestigation

Keeping Pipelines Safe: Monitoring and Leak Detection Although petroleum pipeline leaks are rare, Kinder Morgan Canada takes extensive measures to ensure leaks are quickly identified and repaired. These measures include, among other things, sophisticated technologies such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Leak De-tection systems that monitor the pipeline continuously for changes in operating conditions.

Learning & Responding Together: Tabletop Drills with Kinder Morgan CanadaThat morning, one of Kinder Morgan Canada’s (KMC) facilities was in a state of commotion. After receiving an odour report from a local fire department, KMC discovered light crude oil leaking from a pipeline and moving toward a local stream. Local fire and police detachments along with KMC’s response crews were the first to assess and control the scene; however, federal, state and local government and emergency response agencies were also quickly mobilized to form a unified com-mand. With so many players involved and little time to waste, how would these groups collaborate to protect the public, contain the leak and minimize the impact to the environment?

Fortunately, this is a hypothetical scenario that never came to pass. However, the question of effective collaboration is the focal point during KMC’s regularly scheduled emergency response exercises, commonly known as tabletop drills.

Tabletop drills are essential prac-tice not only for KMC employees, but also for first responders whose operations fall alongside KMC pipelines and associated facilities. Not only do attendees learn about products transported by KMC and response plans and procedures, but most im-portantly, they learn to develop an effective unified response strategy using the widely ad-opted Incident Command System (ICS) to ensure an efficient joint response to a potential incident.

In October 2012, KMC staff and community partners came together to refresh their knowledge and apply their training during a tabletop drill in Bellingham, Washington. KMC welcomed nearly 100 participants to the drill, including representatives from the US Coast Guard, Whatcom County Emergency Management Division (Whatcom EMD), O’Brien’s Response Management, Marine Spill Resource Corporation (MSRC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Many of these organizations previously participated in KMC tabletop drills and were pleased to once again be invited and attend.

(continued on page 2)

(continued on page 2)

www.kindermorgan.com/pipelinesafety page 2

WINTER2012 Canadian edition

Scott Knutson of the US Coast Guard was happy to take part. “It’s nice to have an opportunity to come together with federal, state, local and industry responders to exercise and learn from one another,” he said.

During the exercise, first respond-ers, who were assigned roles within the operational and planning units, played an integral part in the de-velopment of an incident action plan and implementation of the emergency response plan. “The

tabletop drill is a time to learn and do your due diligence,” Kent Catlin, Deputy Director of Whatcom County EMD said. “You get to be more comfort-able with the people involved and you are doing what is in the best interests of the community and de-partment in which you serve”.

Participation of first responders is strongly encouraged at the table-top drills. Whether it’s a local fire department, environmental agency or sheriff’s office, tabletop drills benefit all when it comes to col-laboration. “It is vital to have KMC staff and first responders attend these drills for the sake of learn-ing together,” Patrick Davis, KMC Operations Supervisor said, “…so if an incident does occur, a work-ing relationship has already been established.”

Annually, KMC conducts 20 to 25 training exercises of varying emer-gency levels. While tabletop drills are typically carried out in an office setting, full-scale field deployments also occur at KMC’s terminals, pump stations, and along our pipeline routes.

If you are interested in participat-ing in these or other drills hosted by KMC, please contact Kelly Malinoski at kelly_malinoski@kindermorgan.com.

Learning & Responding Together (continued from page 1)

The SCADA system monitors rate-of-flow in the pipeline, pressure, temperature, and density of prod-uct. These are then compared to a theoretical flow model, identifying

any differences outside of pre-scribed norms that might indicate a problem. If a variance is found, our Control Centre in Edmonton, Alberta receives an alert which is handled by highly trained opera-tors. Our operators are able to remotely control the pipeline flows by starting and stopping pumps and opening and closing valves. This allows us to quickly isolate sections of the pipeline.

The data and modeling for the Leak Detection system is main-tained and verified by a separate group of employees, who also

receive rigorous training on how to operate and support the leak detection models.

Pipeline monitoring is conducted 24/7. In the event that an alarm does go off, a prescribed series of procedures and actions are launched immediately and re-sponse is initiated. There are various types of alarms that could result in different procedures, as well as different responses depending on the location, the ter-rain and the conditions surround-ing the area in question.

Keeping Pipelines Safe (continued from page 1)

Incident Command

Public Information O�cerLiaison O�cerSafety O�cer

Finance/AdminSection

LogisticsSection

PlanningSection

OperationsSection

Incident Command System (ICS) Structure

www.kindermorgan.com/pipelinesafety page 3

WINTER2012 Canadian edition

Pipeline Construction: Focus on Integrity

According to Transport Canada and the US Department of Transporta-tion statistics, pipelines are the safest and most efficient way to transport energy products over land. Pipeline construction is a complex process that consists of a number of distinct activities that each contrib-ute to the long-term integrity of the pipeline as well as minimize the impact to the environment and com-munities these pipelines traverse.

Oil pipelines are generally construct-ed from steel with an inner diameter typically ranging from 100 mm to 1,200 mm (four to 48 inches). The steel used is of the highest qual-ity and manufactured to stringent Canadian Standard Association (CSA) specifications, which include chemistry and material properties. From production, transportation to the job site, and installation, quality management processes are in place to ensure the pipe fully meets all federal and provincial regulations and requirements.

The building of a pipeline can be compared to an assembly line. Each portion of the assembly line along the pipeline route is termed a spread. The spreads are staffed by crews performing specialized work.

SurveyingandStaking

Once a pipeline is approved and a route is finalized, crews survey and stake the right-of-way including any

temporary working space required for construction.

Right-of-WayClearingandTrenching

Trees and vegetation are removed from the right-of-way (ROW) and the topsoil is removed and stockpiled and protected for future reclamation. The crew installs silt fences along edges of streams and wetlands to prevent erosion of disturbed soil and for protection of the water courses. The ROW is then leveled and graded to provide a safe working space. Excavators dig the trench to the required depth and place the excavated soil to the side.

Stringing,BendingandJoining

Individual lengths of pipe rang-ing from 12 to 24 metres long are brought in from stockpile sites and laid out end-to-end along the right-of-way. The joints of pipe are bent using a hydraulic bending machine for directional changes and to fit the terrain. Welders join the pipes together using either manual or automated welding processes. Both manual and automatic welds are of the highest quality, with every weld inspected and certified using non-destructive examinations including X-ray or ultrasound methods.

Coating

Coating on the outside of the pipeline is used to prevent it from corrosion or rusting. The new pipe (and any repairs to the existing pipe) will typically be coated with fusion bond epoxy. In rockier areas, enhanced external coatings such as concrete, abrasive resistant fusion bond epoxy or polyethylene will be used to mitigate the impact from abrasives or stress-concentrating conditions (such as rocks or backfill) and to provide additional mechanical protection. Prior to lowering the pipe section into the trench, the integrity

of the coating is checked by means of a high voltage tool that will detect even the smallest defect in the coat-ing. If a defect is noted, an epoxy repair coating is applied.

LoweringandBackfilling

The welded pipeline is lowered into the trench using heavy lifting ma-chines called sidebooms. Once the pipeline is in place, select backfill may be used to protect the pipe. Following this, subsoil and topsoil are replaced in the sequence in which they were removed.

PressureTesting

The pipeline is pressure tested to 125 per cent of its anticipated maximum operating pressure for a minimum of eight hours. This process tests the integrity of the complete system of the pipe, welds, fittings and all other appurtenances such as valves. A successful test is required to obtain certification for the pipeline to operate.

Cleanup

The final step is to reclaim the pipeline right-of-way, removing any temporary facilities, re-seeding and restoring the land.

Emergency responders are en-couraged to become familiar with pipeline construction processes, especially when new pipelines are being installed in their jurisdictions.

www.kindermorgan.com/pipelinesafety page 3

Pipelines are engineered and built to last. With Kinder Mor-gan’s focus on regular main-tenance, applying the latest in technology, and using sound operating practices, pipelines have an indefinite lifespan. We expect our pipelines to be as safe in the future as they are when installed.

www.kindermorgan.com/pipelinesafety page 4

Canadian editionWINTER2012

Pipeline Emergency Response Tactics: Wild Fire Safety Near Transmission Pipelines

CONTACTUSKinderMorgan’sPipelineEmergencyNumbers:

TransMountainPipeline(Alberta,BC):(888)876-6711

ExpressPipeline(Alberta):(888)449-7539

CallBeforeYouDig

BC One Call (800) 474-6886Alberta One Call (800) 242-3447

Share the ResponderForward this issue to other responders in your department and in your commu-nity. Encourage them to subscribe to the Responder by e-mailing their name, title, agency name and agency address to

Upcoming Exercises2013 Dates TBC

New dates and locations will be announced soon. Please check our website for updates.

Odour Report InvestigationAnother leak detection measure that KMC uses routinely is odour report investigation. We ship a variety of petroleum products on behalf of our customers including crude oil, gaso-line and diesel fuel. Since the crude oil contains sulphur compounds, it is often described as having a rotten-egg smell. Although odours do occur as a result of normal operations and routine maintenance, sometimes it can signal a problem. Because safe operations and protection of the public and the environment are always top of mind in our line of work, we in-vestigate and follow up on all odour reports.

If you notice any unusual odours near our facilities or right-of-way, please call our control centre at (888) 876-6711.

Wild fires can occur anywhere in Western Canada. While areas of Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) are becoming more common, emergency responders are faced with complex wild fire scenarios that increasingly put the public at risk.

Given the dynamic and of-ten unpredictable nature of wild fires, the importance of effective site assessment or scene evaluation is critical during a response. As fire conditions change, responders must evaluate exposures and determine if new risks need to be identified. One risk that responders may not initially consider is the presence of an oil pipeline. While pipelines them-selves are buried under ground, valve sites, meter and regulator facilities as well as pump stations are located above ground and can be at risk during wild fire incidents.

Wild fires in proximity to pipelines risk the occurrence of firebreak plowing across pipeline rights-of-way. While pipelines are typically installed to depths of several feet, erosion and shifting soil may result in pipeline depth becoming shallower over time. Plowing across a right-of-way with a shallow pipe could have tragic conse-quences. Repeated crossing of rights-of-way with heavy response vehicles can also expose pipelines to increased stress and dam-age.

Kinder Morgan Canada (KMC) should be notified when a wild fire is located within a 16km radius of its pipeline facilities. Our person-nel will be dispatched to assist emergency responders in locating the pipeline and ensure that operations near the pipe are con-ducted in a safe manner. It should also be taken into account that there may be other pipeline operators in the area that will need to be contacted to guarantee the safety of their systems.

kristjana_hawthorne@kindermorgan.com

pipelinesafety@kindermorgan.com

CallyourlocalOneCallCentretohaveburied

pipelinesandutilitieslocated.