Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquids HCA Identification

Hazardous Liquid Pipeline HCA Identification: IMD has developed a best-in-class solution for HCA identification for hazardous liquids pipeline systems. More than 30% of all US hazardous liquids pipelines have used this solution to support their integrity management process. The HCA analyses are performed using RiskCAT, an ESRI based spatial solution developed by AI IMD.

IMD also has special tools for ignition and fire analysis. The basic analyses include direct and in-direct, terrain, direct and in-direct watershed, spread and pool fire as shown in the image below.

Natural Gas Pipeline HCA Identification (top of page)

RiskCAT™ (Risk Consequence Analysis Tool) is an ESRI-based gas HCA spatial analysis tool developed by AI IMD in 2003 in response to U.S. pipeline IMP rules, industry standards and associated protocol requirements. RiskCAT™ has been used to complete HCA analyses on over 12,000 miles of DOT jurisdictional gas pipelines.

RiskCAT™ is a high speed spatial HCA identification tool that can spatially integrates a continuous pipeline centerline with the following information from a IMP™ Version 6 and/or company’s GIS database; HCA locations, base maps, asset data, operational conditions, potential rupture volumes, release buffer zones, and environment information.

Method 1A – Class Location:

• Census Data
• Land Use Land Cover Data
• DOQQ
• 660' buffer
• Classes 3-4

Method 1B – Class Location:

• Building Points
• 660' buffer
• Classes 1-4 (only requires 3-4)

Method 2A – Radial Buildings:

• Census Data
• Land Use Land Cover Data
• DOQQ
• Potential Impact Circle
  (>=20 buildings)

Method 2B – Radial Buildings:

• Building Points
• Potential Impact Circle
  (>=20 buildings)

HCA segments are determined by Identified Sites and Building Density analyses using RiskCAT™ along each gas pipeline corridor. The RiskCAT™ process automatically extracts the engineering station locations along the pipeline that intersect, or have the potential to interact, with HCAs. A company can choose any of the four methods to calculate HCA areas based on building density.

RiskCAT™ can use key pipeline attribute data, ortho photo base maps and surrounding structure information in the format of shape files from company’s GIS to automatically run the HCA analyses shown above.

RiskCAT™ can also automatically generate DOT Class Locations (per 49CFR part 192.5 requirements) using key pipeline attribute data, ortho photo base maps and surrounding structure information in the format of shape files from company’s GIS.

Class Location Analysis (top of page)

Method 1, Option A: Uses census block and land use data  to determine Class 3 and 4 pipeline
segments.

Method 1, Option B: Class 3 and 4 pipeline segments are determined by buildings identified from
aerial photography.

Fact Sheet & Presentation (top of page)

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