April 23, 2018: Pipelines 101 - Deer Park Community Advisory Council

Prior to its Pipelines 101 lesson, Deer Park Community Advisory Council (DPCAC) learned about local pipelines from Deer Park Emergency Management Coordinator Robert Hemminger. Hemminger said pipelines underlie all parts of the city; thus, every part of Deer Park could be impacted by a pipeline emergency. While pipeline companies provide details to the city, lines from many companies run in the same corridors. Emergency responders looking at a leak on the ground could not immediately identify the source, thus city dispatchers have contact information for all pipeline operators and can activate the city’s warning systems if the public needs to act.

Sean Guillory of Shell Pipe Line Company and Shell Midstream Partners presented Pipelines 101 in response to member requests for a comprehensive overview. He covered history, use, regulations, design, operations, maintenance, and integrity. Members learned that Shell Pipe Line turns 100 in 2019 and that early pipelines were made of wood. A diagram showed how pipelines and terminals connect to everything; e.g. crude from a well on land is piped to refineries and refined into a variety of products that then are stored in terminals until distributed to airports, homes, military bases, gas stations, and so on.

Interstate pipelines transport more than 17% of all US freight. Other pipelines carry liquids and gases inside the state. If crude, refined products, and some chemicals were not transported by pipelines, traffic would be much heavier on highways, rail lines, and rivers.

Pipelines are controlled by automated systems monitored 24/7 by trained staff. Several grades of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products can move in the same pipeline. Pipelines are routinely “pigged” to ensure safety and reliability. “Smart pigs” contain instruments to collect detailed information about the condition of the metal and more.

Both Hemminger and Guillory spoke to the importance of caution when digging, even at home. They urged members to make a free phone call to 811 if digging deep enough to hit a gas or liquid pipeline, water lines, electrical lines, cable, etc.