The Energy Institute (EI) has published the sixth edition of its Pipeline and Riser Loss of Containment (PARLOC) report, containing statistics from a 12-year operating period in the North Sea between 2001 and 2012
PARLOC reports are recognised within the oil and gas industry as the preferred source of statistical data regarding loss of containment frequencies.
The report summarises loss of containment frequencies for both steel and flexible pipelines averaged across categories and sizes of pipelines. It shows the numbers of incidents by pipeline and riser type and also the pipeline operating experience.
The PARLOC report is concerned with loss of containment statistics i.e. average failure (leak) frequencies and probabilities, and it is produced to support the oil and gas industry in risk assessment procedures, and in the design and operation of offshore oil and gas pipelines.
These have been collected from incidents that have been reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), together with a survey conducted by pipeline operators, with additional information provided from a commercial pipelines database developed by Infield Systems Ltd. and a database compiled by Oil & Gas UK.
Jim MacRae, Vice-Chairman, EI Scientific Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), said: ‘PARLOC is part of the continuous improvement approach to managing safety in the offshore oil and gas sector, and provides another good example of a collaborative industry approach to gathering important safety data.
“As incoming chairman of the EI STAC and member of the PARLOC steering group, it has been great to work closely with the HSE and the Pipeline Users Group to update this report.
“We have all worked very hard over the last two years and the steering group have used the combined resources of the EI’s Technical group and Oil & Gas UK to produce a quality piece of subsea pipeline failure rate data on the UKCS.’
The Energy Institute is the leading chartered professional membership body for the energy industry, supporting over 20,000 individuals working in or studying energy and 250 energy companies worldwide.
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