Risk Based Guidelines for Natural Gas Pipeline in Operation Available to Purchase

During the life of a gas pipeline, some significant changes in the population may happen along its route. Such changes are indirectly evaluated by the increase in the amount of buildings constructed along the route, which determines the so called Location Class. Such changes, when pipeline is operating, provoke differences between what is required by the standards and what is actually done. The main goal of this paper is to present a risk-based methodology for the guideline development which can be used in decision-making concerning what to do in case of any location class change. Particularly, it has given special attention to the requirements which are imposed for the pipeline operational license continuation in Brazil. Moreover, a summary of the main solutions found in other countries together with a guideline, customized for the Brazilian reality, is presented.