Proper Identification Can Help Onshore Pipeline Protection

Proper Identification Can Help Onshore Pipeline Protection

When working on a pipeline, it’s vitally important to identify the line properly. Over time, onshore pipeline protection plans become vulnerable because of pipeline erosion. Proper identification will not only help keep the public safe but will also help your company combat erosion effects.


Identifying A Pipeline When Altered By Acts Of Nature


If your pipeline has become exposed by an act of nature, including erosion by wind or water, you’ll need to act immediately to provide an identification marker if the exposure has occurred in an area accessible to the public.

Remember that pipelines must be marked properly and clearly. They are required to provide a few key pieces of information. Most importantly, they need to indicate the presence of a pipeline. The markers also need to include an approximate location of the pipeline, the product that it carries, and contact information for the company responsible for the line’s operation. Most companies choose to make their identification markers red, black, or yellow so that they are easily identifiable.

If your pipeline runs along a riverbank or other areas prone to erosion, flooding, or other acts of nature that dramatically alter a landscape, consider using aerial markers. These markers face toward the sky, and allow patrol planes to identify your pipeline and aid in onshore pipeline protection. They can be set at any height. So, whereas flooding may typically conceal shallow pipeline identifiers, aerial markers would be clearly identifiable.

Being able to identify your pipeline after its surrounding landscape has been altered will prove beneficial for those that deal with oil and gas line remediation.


Markers Can Help You Identify Erosion


Identification markers can also be a great tool for identifying erosion that has occurred. When planting your markers, track how deep they are planted, or how much of the marker is exposed. Have maintenance crews measure the marker whenever they are in the area. If a significant amount of the marker is exposed, erosion could be occurring. Catching the problem will help you come up with a solution before it causes significant damage.