LA 2015 Technical Assistance Grant

Overview

Main Objective

The Greater Lafourche Port Commission will enhance marine pipeline damage prevention through a combination of technological and human solutions to collecting, assessing, and communicating critical data relative to marine pipelines, maritime vessel traffic, and best practices for mariners, pipeline operators, and regulators both by developing a real-time "dashboard" of this information available to mariners in the vicinity of the project and by providing outreach and education in the form of formal training curriculum to be developed for application in member companies' existing safety and maritime training programs as well as through informal outreach and education at maritime industry conferences, trade shows, and other meetings.

Public Abstract

Under the terms of this agreement, the Recipient must demonstrate completion of the work through the actions it has specified in its Application.

1. Expand the ability to remotely monitor vessel activity that threatens submerged pipeline infrastructure by merging radar vessel position data with the Automatic Identification System (AIS) data that is broadcasted from most commercial vessels to account for 100% of vessel traffic interacting with pipelines in the port region.
2. Leverage all sources of data collected from specific pipeline segments (vessel movement, weather, bottom survey, known work activity near pipeline, vessel operator contact details, and other data based on availability) by developing tools that will correlate, analyze, and strategically report true vulnerability and risk associated with the targeted pipeline segment.
3. a. Provide pipeline operators methods and tools to quickly communicate with vessels that appear to be threatening their pipeline infrastructure. b. Conduct targeted outreach and communication efforts based on this comprehensive study with a focus applied on making positive communications with all regional pipeline operators, regional maritime training facilities and vessel owner/operators, and regional environmental and pipeline regulators. This includes the development of curriculum materials targeted for maritime training facilities and vessel owner/operators with the objective of the inclusion of this material in their safety systems and required trainings for employees. Additionally, local regulators (Coast Guard, PHMSA, state/federal environmental stakeholders) will be briefed on the findings and lessons learned from the development of the "dashboard" tool and how these systems may be used to actively monitor real-time threats. The pipeline vulnerability and risk assessments and statistics resulting from this effort will be developed into a report that can be presented to all pipeline organizations with infrastructure in similar coastal environments as a "best practice".

Relevant Files & Links