The July Brisbane APIA Dinner was sponsored by IDM Partners and Nacap. Fyfe’s Clayton Warner told the 350-strong crowd that he had a new “appreciation for the size and design complexities of the international pipeline industry”.

He said that the four young pipeliners who were chosen for the study tour learnt about key pipeline integrity issues at the Joint Technical Meeting (JTM), where they were “blown away by the projects and issues being worked on”.

Following the JTM, the tour visited pipeline operators such as the San Franciso-based PGE, which operates the pipeline involved in the recent San Bruno incident. The company described the failure, possible reasons, and the response program implemented.

Clayton spoke of how impressed the YPF group were by the level of detail that PGE were willing to discuss with relation to the incident.

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Clayton said that another highlight of the trip involved a visit to Southern California Gas – a pipeline operator that serves 19.5 million people. The company has made advances in pipeline engineering and construction in earthquake-prone areas, which is a big issue for North America.

The tour visited TransCanada, which operates 60,000 km of natural gas pipelines – nearly three times the amount of Australia’s natural gas pipelines.

The group learnt about TransCananda’s proposed 48 inch diameter Alaska Pipeline Project. The project is currently in the design phase, and is planned to be constructed from X80 grade steel, with a design factor of 0.8. It is planned to be completed within the next seven ears, and faces challenges such as permafrost.

Clayton finished his presentation by reiterating the value of the JTM for both the Australian and international pipeline industries. He said that all APIA members should encourage their young pipeliners to apply for the study tour in future years.