Abstract: THUMS Long Beach Unit Subsea Pipeline Integrity Program, Wilmington Field

ISGRO, STEVE, THUMS Long Beach Co., Long Beach, CA

The THUMS Long Beach Company utilizes submarine pipelines to transport produced oil and gas from four man-made islands in the Long Beach Harbor. Operation and maintenance policies have been established to ensure the integrity of the pipelines.

The integrity program consists of five parts:
1) Current pipeline status that is maintained and updated through the intranet for company-wide communication;
2) Alarm and shut-down systems to protect against pressure variances;
3) A corrosion mitigation program that includes chemical inhibitors, cathodic protection and routine maintenance pigging;
4) Internal non-destructive inspections to locate internal and external anomalies resulting from corrosion as well as to determine corrosion trending and useful life of the pipeline; and
5) A repair matrix that is updated to reflect pipeline repairs and service requirements.

Each of the five parts of the pipeline integrity program will be discussed in detail.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90911©2000 AAPG Pacific Section and Western Region Society of Petroleum Engineers, Long Beach, California