Pipeline &
Gas Journal
February issue 2000:
Agencies, Operators To Benefit
OPS Building National Pipeline GIS Database
by Kevin P. Corbley
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) is developing a fully digital GIS database that will contain location and attribute information for all natural gas transmission pipelines, hazardous liquid trunklines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in the United States.
Called the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS), the GIS is being built with data supplied by pipeline operators and affiliated state agencies. Although data submission from operators is voluntary, OPS anticipates a high operator participation rate, given the support the idea has already received from the industry.
At first glance, NPMS may look like another regulatory hoop for operators to jump through, especially since the program recommends submitting data in digital format—a departure from the paper map environment most operators still work in. However, OPS makes a convincing case that pipeline operators will benefit from participation in the NPMS.
“We have coordinated with industry and federal and state agencies to create standards for collection of pipeline map data,” said Steven Fischer, GIS coordinator at OPS in Washington. “One of the goals of NPMS is to minimize the level of redundancy in collection of pipeline data in the future by setting standards now that all agencies will adopt.”
Aside from establishing a nationwide pipeline data format, another potential advantage of taking part in NPMS —and one that several pipeline companies can vouch for—is that participation has compelled operators to finally make the switch from paper to digital environments. Initial feedback from operators indicates most foresee benefits to digital mapping and GIS.
“In the beginning, we were very reluctant, to convert to digital mapping, but once we got into it, we found GIS has been very useful,” said Rex Prosser, safety supervisor for Coastal States Crude Gathering Company in Houston.
NPMS partner agencies clearly believe that GIS technology is the future of mapping and spatial data analysis in the pipeline industry. By no coincidence, Fischer presented details on NPMS plans at the eighth annual “GIS for the Oil/Gas Industry” conference held in Houston last September.
Sponsored by the Geospatial Information Technology Association (GITA) in Denver, the conference featured presentations on applications of GIS and automated mapping/facilities management (AM/FM) technologies in virtually every aspect of hydrocarbon exploration, production, transportation and processing.
“GIS is quickly becoming recognized as a powerful tool in facility management, lifecycle monitoring, risk analysis, emergency response planning, ensuring regulatory compliance, and improving operational efficiencies,” said Kandice O’Malley, principal in the Applied Systems group at Tennessee Gas Pipeline in Houston.
O’Malley, who will chair GITA’s GIS for Oil-Gas Conference this September in Houston, adds that increased power and reduced prices in computing have put GIS within reach of many more companies in recent years.
Planning The NPMS
Impetus for the creation of the NPMS came as a result of the passage of the 1992 Accountable Pipeline Safety and Partnership Act. OPS is responsible for assuring that hazardous liquids and natural gas are transported with minimal threat to the public and property. The 1992 act expanded the OPS domain to include identification of pipelines in high consequence areas such as well-populated and unusually sensitive sites. GIS was identified as the best technology for OPS to examine the relationships between pipeline locations and environmental surroundings.
“GIS gives us the ability to do very detailed spatial analysis,” said Fischer.
OPS will utilize the GIS for better emergency response and inspection planning. The agency expects the database to enable it to better deploy its inspection resources, identify pipelines at risk of environmental hazards, and locate pipelines crossing high consequence areas. In the event of an emergency, OPS will be able to quickly access the database and supply detailed information about the situation to federal and state emergency management agencies.
Fischer says the GIS has the potential to help reduce the likelihood of spills. “We can identify pipelines that traverse unusually sensitive or populous areas, and we can better focus our inspections on those that are susceptible to earthquakes, floods and other hazards,” he said.
Configuration of the NPMS calls for a seamless national base map created with digital quad maps at 1:24,000 and 1:100,000 scale. Overlaid on the base map will be the locations of all pipelines and LNG facilities. The database linked to the GIS map display will hold details on pipeline content, size and nonproprietary ownership information.
OPS is obtaining additional digital map layers that show locations of unusually sensitive and protected areas such as wetlands and endangered habitats as well as transportation networks and natural disaster probability zones. Also included will be demographic information on population density and cultural development.
“NPMS will be a single source of important information. There will be valuable data that operators will want to review to gain a better understanding of their pipelines in relation to the environment, populated areas and other facilities,” said Fischer. “We expect some operators to download NPMS data into their own GISs so they can use the information.”
OPS plans to make the GIS data accessible not only to other state and government agencies but to the operators as well. Until an Internet-based access to the system is developed, the GIS data will be available at the NPMS national and state repositories. All map and data layers will be viewable, and most will be downloadable.
What OPS Wants
OPS has requested three data sets from pipeline and LNG facility operators:
n Geospatial data that depict the location of the pipeline or facility with an accuracy of 500 feet. These data will be accepted in either digital or paper formats.
For digital submissions, OPS requires use of real world coordinate systems based on NAD83 or NAD27 in a UTM or State Plane projection measured in feet or meters. Acceptable GIS or CAD file formats include ESRI ARC/INFO and ArcView, Intergraph FRAMME, Bentley Microstation, MapInfo, AutoDesk AutoCAD, Smallworld and ASCII.
n Attribute data that describe the pipeline or facility, submitted in a database file. OPS has prepared templates for easy submission of this data. Attributes include OPS identification number, operator name, facility, pipeline or segment name, size (optional), commodity carried, and status.
n Metadata which describes how the geospatial and attribute data were prepared. It states who collected the information and how it was collected, such as by GPS survey or aerial photography. Metadata also specifies the datum, projection, coordinate system and accuracy of the geospatial data.
Operators may submit information either to the national repository in Alexandria, VA or to one of nine state repositories. Intrastate operators should send their digital data to their state if it has a repository, while interstate operators can submit to the national or state level. If operators are submitting hardcopy maps, they should submit to the state if there is a repository. Otherwise, they must send documents to the national repository. State repositories maintain their own NPMS GIS databases and forward data to the federal system.
“OPS established cooperative agreements with those states that already have pipeline mapping requirements,” said Lorelei Weitzel, assistant director for Applications Development at the Texas Railroad Commission (TRC), a designated repository. “Instead of requiring the industry to submit data twice, we send the necessary data to the national level.”
Making The Switch To Digital
Weitzel acknowledges that most operators foresee an eventual industry shift to digital mapping and GIS, and many are using NPMS as their justification to get started. According to her estimates, only 15 percent of all operators could supply digital maps in 1995, compared with 25 percent today.
She points out that an operator need not create an entire GIS to enter the digital mapping world. Larger companies are building full-scale GISs, while smaller ones are embracing less expensive digital mapping techniques such as digitization of paper alignment maps or simple mapping with GPS units. TRC and the NPMS assist the non-digital operators by digitizing their paper maps and giving them the digital files for their own use.
“We educate the operators by demonstrating digitization techniques, and we point them toward off-the-shelf GIS and desktop mapping software to get started,” said Weitzel.
Coastal States Crude Gathering Company, which operates in four states, is one year into its full-scale GIS development. It had been using a computer drafting package for the creation of digital alignment maps but switched over to full-scale GIS software to add georeferencing to the maps—a crucial ingredient in development of a true GIS. GPS field surveys were conducted along the pipelines to collect digital control points and georeference the maps.
“GIS is an excellent tool not only for spill response but for field personnel in daily operations,” said Coastal’s Prosser. “Our system is referenced to an existing Microsoft Access database so we can click on a pump station icon on the GIS and call up diagrams and information about it from Access.”
Prosser adds that conversion of paper maps has been the most time consuming part of the development. But the GIS software itself was less expensive than anticipated.
Duke Energy in Houston began building its GIS in 1994 and uses the system to maintain maps of its entire network and generate alignment sheets for daily operations. In addition to running risk management models on its GIS, the company soon plans to distribute its GIS data over the Web, providing access to all of its branch offices.
“Because we have a GIS in place, we are able to provide data to NPMS without any problem,” said Mike Estes, supervisor in Duke’s Engineering Mapping department.
Duke made its first digital maps by digitizing USGS quad sheets. This resulted in 40-foot map accuracy. But now the company wants greater accuracy to accommodate participation in a one-call program and other applications. To achieve this, Duke is now acquiring orthorectified aerial photographs and conducting GPS surveys along its pipeline corridors. The accuracy of its maps will improve to three feet when the project is completed.
Data Rolling In
Many operators have already begun making data submissions to NPMS. OPS has set a goal of year-end 2000 for completion of 70 percent of the nationwide database. For those operators planning to convert to digital systems any time this year, OPS is encouraging them to delay submission of paper data now in favor of digital data later. For those unable to provide digital data by the end of 2000, OPS recommends they submit hard copy.
When NPMS is complete, it will contain geographic representations and operating details of 352,000 miles of natural gas transmission and 155,000 hazardous liquid pipelines operated by more than 1,200 companies. Information on 94 LNG stations also will be included.
A complete explanation of data submission standards and details regarding submissions to state or federal repositories is listed on the NPMS web site at www.npms.rspa.dot.gov. For general information on GIS development, visit www.gita.org. P&GJ
About the Author: Kevin P. Corbley is the principal in Corbley Communications of Littleton, CO. He may be reached at 303-979-3232 or at kcorbley+AEA-aol.com.