Quality Management Systems for Pipelines

Overview

Main Objective

The project has two principal objectives: 1) to develop general guidelines for a Quality Management Systems (QMS) for pipeline projects (from design to commissioning) to ensure consistent and acceptable quality; and 2) to develop enhanced QMS guidelines that provide assurance of pipeline safety and integrity without having a pre-service hydrotest.

Public Abstract

A significant number of service failures for pipelines can be traced back to flaws introduced prior to commissioning the pipeline. The pre-service hydrotest is able to detect and remove critical defects. Hydrotest failures indicate that quality management practices were ineffective in preventing and detecting critical defects. This project addresses the need for improved quality management practices for pipeline projects. The objectives of the project are: 1) to develop general guidelines for a Quality Management Systems (QMS) for pipeline projects (from design to commissioning) to provide greater assurance of consistent and acceptable quality; and 2) to develop enhanced QMS guidelines that provide assurance of pipeline safety and integrity without having a pre-service hydrotest. The latter will be of particular benefit for pipeline projects in challenging environments such as the Arctic, where there may be a desire to eliminate the hydrotest due to significant associated costs and logistical challenges.