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National Pipeline Safety & Operations Research Center

Description

The academic programs at Texas A&M University and New Mexico State University provide expertise in all areas related to pipeline technology, such as civil, industrial, mechanical, chemical, and petroleum engineering. The National Pipeline Safety & Operations Research Center coordinates the joint participation of these disciplines on research activities that promote the safe and efficient transportation of petroleum and chemical commodities through the United States' extensive pipeline network.

Mission

The National Pipeline Safety & Operations Research Center is a consortium between New Mexico State University and the Texas A&M University System's Texas Transportation Institute. This alignment has been established to promote the safe construction, operation, and inspection of natural gas and liquid pipelines through the advancement of pipeline technology, policy, and education.

Expertise

Participants in the National Pipeline Safety & Operations Research Center have expertise in the following areas:

  • Materials-fatigue testing,
  • Fluid transport,
  • Modeling/GIS,
  • Instrumentation,
  • Mechanical operations/damage,
  • Codes and regulations,
  • Product/system testing and evaluation, and
  • Infrastructure condition inspections.

Research Initiatives

Current or planned research by the National Pipeline Safety & Operations Research Center includes:

  • NDE applications to monitor structural integrity,
  • Use of remote sensors and low cost electronics to communicate pipeline conditions,
  • Review of codes and specifications for static testing,
  • Sensor system applications for leak detection,
  • Leak detection using fluid transport technology,
  • Integrity and monitoring of coastline and offshore pipelines,
  • Prediction and prevention of third party damage,
  • Impact of pipeline policies on the expansion of transportation infrastructures,
  • Compliance of port and waterway policies with pipeline construction and operation, and
  • Incorporation of demographic data into risk analyses/GIS applications.

For More Information

Steve Roop
National Pipeline Safety & Operations Research Center
Texas Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
ph. (979) 845-5817 · fax (979) 862-2708
s-roop@tamu.edu
or
Les Olson
National Pipeline Safety & Operations Research Center
Texas Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
l-olson@tamu.edu

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