A wide range of attendees from all facets of the industry, including owners, operators, engineering and corrosion firms were present at the day long briefings.
Four members of PII’s global team were in attendance: Olivier Honore, Regional Sales Manager Asia Pacific; Paul Robson, Sales Manager – Australia; Harry Macpherson, Total Pipeline Integrity Manager – Asia Pacific; and, John Beets, Manager Pipeline Integrity – M. J. Harden Associates.
A boost to PII’s Australian operations was announced during the seminars with the news that Paul Robson will soon be based in Melbourne to further enhance PII’s commitment to the Australian market.
Mr Robson will utilise GE Australia’s existing offices and infrastructure to offer enhanced services. Mr Robson said he was looking forward to the move to Australia.
The seminar was in two parts. The morning section was focused on In-Line-Inspection technology (MagneScan, UltraScan, EmatScan, PipeImage 5). The afternoon was dedicated to Pipeline Integrity Management solutions, including PII’s latest acquisition MJ Harden, who specialise in pipeline integrity data management systems. Presenters also gave an overview of the future with information on forthcoming PII products.
The seminars were conducted in an informal nature which allowed attendees to ask questions and clarify issues during each session to maximise the value to them. A wide range of topics and scenarios were covered during the participant interaction.
Mr Honore outlined the wide range of services that PII offer and how PII has a continuing strategy of acquiring firms that compliment and build on their existing expertise. He said that two recent additions to the PII family were Positive Projects, which provides rapid response services, and M. J. Harden Associates who offer a range of pipeline data management services.
“PII is committed to the Australian market and ensuring that the services we offer meet the needs of the industry,” Mr Honore said.
New “PipeView” software
In a further development to PII’s services, GE Energy’s oil and gas business has recently launched PipeView Integrity, a new software tool to help transmission pipeline operators and local distribution companies assess and manage the integrity of their pipelines.
PipeView Integrity is the first such program on the market to seamlessly manage multiple types of pipeline integrity and facility data in a single environment. Specifically, PipeView Integrity integrates information from various sources such as databases and GIS platforms. The information includes data from pipeline assets as well as in-line inspection (ILI) tools and above-ground surveys.
PipeView Integrity helps pipeline operators maximise safety and “asset life” by assessing their lines for potential risks. The tool supports informed decisions by helping operators develop appropriate maintenance and repair plans.
PipeView Integrity is more efficient than existing programs on the market because of the new PipeView application platform, which includes a crucial data-access component. This feature allows the various PipeView Integrity tools – including Risk Assessment, Integrity Planning, Integrity Data Manager, and Feature Assessment – to seamlessly merge various information sources into a single environment.
The program is actually replacing two of GE’s existing tools, combining the best of their respective functions. The first, PipeView Risk, was produced by Kansas City, Missouri-based M.J. Harden Associates, Inc., a geospatial data management company acquired by GE Energy in 2003. The second tool, PRIMA, was designed by GE Energy’s pipeline integrity operation headquartered in Northumberland, England.