[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 52 (Friday, March 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15320-15321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6535]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

[Cooperative Agreement DTRS656-00-H-0004]


Quarterly Performance Review Meeting on The Cooperative Agreement 
``Better Understanding of Mechanical Damage in Pipelines''

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: RSPA has entered into a cooperative agreement with the Gas 
Technology Institute (GTI) to co-fund a two-year research program to 
identify and characterize mechanical damage, a leading cause of 
reportable accidents in both gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, using 
the technology of magnetic flux leakage (MFL) oriented in the 
circumferential direction on an in-line inspection tool. RSPA, along 
with GTI, invite the pipeline industry, in-line inspection (``smart 
pig'') vendors, and the general public to a quarterly performance 
review meeting to report on progress with the research ``Better 
Understanding of Mechanical Damage in Pipelines.'' The meeting is open 
to anyone, and no registration is required. This work is being managed 
by GTI and performed by Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), along 
with the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The meeting will cover a 
review of the overall project plan, the status of the contract tasks, 
progress made during the past quarter, and projected activity for the 
next quarter.

DATES: The quarterly performance review meeting will be held on 
Wednesday, April 18, 2001 beginning at 2 p.m. and ending around 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The quarterly review meeting will be held at the Marriott 
Rivercenter Hotel, 101 Bowie, San Antonio, TX.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lloyd W. Ulrich, Agreement Officer's 
Technical Representative, Office of Pipeline Safety, telephone: (202) 
366-4556, FAX: (202) 366-4566, e-mail: [email protected]. You 
may also contact Harvey Haines, Principal Investigator, GTI, telephone: 
(773) 399-8223, FAX: (773) 864-3495, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    RSPA has entered into a Cooperative Agreement (Cooperative 
Agreement DTRS656-00-H-0004) with the Gas

[[Page 15321]]

Technology Institute (GTI) to co-fund a two-year research program to 
identify and characterize mechanical damage, the leading cause of 
reportable accidents in both gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, using 
the technology of magnetic flux leakage (MFL) oriented in the 
circumferential direction on an in-line inspection tool.
    We plan to conduct public semi-annual quarterly performance review 
meetings for the duration of this research. This meeting is the second 
semi-annual one to be conducted to provide an update on the research to 
the public, pipeline operators, vendors and interested governmental 
parties, such as RSPA technical and regional staff and the National 
Transportation Safety Board. Semi-annual meetings in the future will be 
held in conjunction with industry meetings, such as ones with the 
Association of Oil Pipelines, Interstate Natural Gas Association of 
America, and the American Gas Association, in order to reach a broad 
audience. We want the pipeline industry and especially that segment of 
the pipeline industry involved with in-line inspection to be aware of 
the status of this research. The meetings allow disclosure of the 
results to interested parties and provide an opportunity for interested 
parties to ask questions concerning the research. Attendance at this 
meeting is open to all and does not require advance registration or 
advance notice to RSPA. Each of the semi-annual meetings will be 
announced in the Federal Register at least two weeks prior to the 
meeting.
    The quarterly performance review meetings held between the semi-
annual meetings described above will be held in conjunction with GTI/
PRCI Technical Committee meetings.

II. The Research

    This research continues work that DOT supported at Battelle to 
improve in-line inspection of mechanical damage and more closely 
coordinates work that GTI is supporting at Southwest Research Institute 
to develop critical assessment criteria based on these NDE 
measurements. This program extends the work conducted under the RSPA-
funded contract ``Detection of Mechanical Damage in Pipelines'' 
(Contract DTRS-56-96-C-0010) \1\ by looking at the circumferential 
magnetic flux leakage field instead of the traditional axial field and 
extends the critical assessment criteria research to work with full 
scale samples that are being used for MFL measurements. The goal of the 
research is to evaluate and develop techniques for assessing pipeline 
metal loss, mechanical damage, and cracks using circumferential MFL. 
These techniques are expected to complement the techniques used for 
axial MFL systems.
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    \1\ The final report on this research dated June 2000 is 
available on the OPS web site, http://ops.dot.gov.
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    The research will extend the failure assessment methodology for 
mechanically damaged pipes to include the influence of local cold 
working due to the gouging/denting process on the pipe's remaining 
life. The program will combine full scale tests and MFL monitoring of 
pipes, laboratory tests and elastic-plastic finite element analyses to 
develop a validated methodology for determining the remaining life of a 
damaged pipe. The proposed SwRI research will complement the work at 
Battelle in developing criteria for characterizing mechanical damage 
found through in-line inspection.

III. Agenda for the Meeting

    The following is the agenda for the meeting :

``Overview Project History and Impact of the DOT/GTI Projects for Using 
In-Line Inspection for Mechanical Damage.''
Harvey Haines-GTI (15 min)
``Defect Manufacture and Installation.''
Tom Bubenik-Battelle (30 min)
``Damage Severity Criteria Program Overview and Elastic Plastic Finite 
Element Analysis''
Graham Chell-SwRI (30 min)
Break
``Circumferential Magnetizer Design and Data''
Bruce Nestleroth-Battelle (30 min)
``Non-Linear Harmonics Measurement''
Al Crouch-SwRI (30 min)
``Tool Development for Implementation in Actual Pipelines''
Carl Torres-Tuboscope (30 min)
``Wrap up and comments''
Lloyd Ulrich-DOT (10-15 min)

IV. Tour of SwRI Facilities

    On Thursday morning, April 19, 2001, Southwest Research Institute 
will offer a tour to anyone interested in the facilities used in this 
research project. Interested parties should contact Al Crouch at SwRI, 
(210) 522-3157.

    Issued in Washington, DC on March 12, 2001.
Stacey L. Gerard,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 01-6535 Filed 3-15-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P