Natural Hazard and Risk Management for Pipelines

Pipeline systems must contend with many hazards, of which ground movements such as landslides and washouts represent one type. Under the broader umbrella term, natural hazards, individual ground movement threats can be subdivided into geotechnical and hydrotechnical hazards. A four-phase natural hazard and risk management system (NHRM) is being developed. Although research and development are ongoing, implementation over the past seven years spans approximately 25,000 km of main-line pipeline in North and South America. It complies with CSA requirements for ‘hazard identification’ as well as current standard-of-care guidelines related to case-law in Canada. It is designed as a simple yet reproducible methodology that can be operated by pipeline companies, particularly their field staff. The first two phases of hazard identification/assessment are described here with reference to a recent study of hydrotechnical hazards along the Trans Mountain Pipe Line Co. Ltd. main line from Hinton, Alberta to Kamloops, British Columbia in the mountains of western Canada. The relative hazard ratings generated by the Phase I and II methodology can be integrated into existing risk management methodologies used in the industry. Alternatively, the risk assessment and risk management methodology of the NHRM system can be used as outlined in this paper.