The challenge of data management and GIS

In 2000 we have completed the development and we have fully implemented GIS for the entire Williams Gas Pipeline system, which includes five major interstate natural gas pipeline systems consisting of over 27,000+ miles of pipelines running from coast to coast. All of the pipeline data will be in the GIS database, making day to day operation of the pipeline and business more efficient by not having to chase down a myriad of paper and electronic sources. The GIS will provide the foundation for other corporate systems, such as the Pipeline Risk Management, Modeling, Corrosion, Environmental, Land, Pipeline Safety, storage, Facility Management and the Maintenance Management systems. The data is positioned in real world coordinates, thereby giving the users both internal and external accurate representation of the pipeline system. This data can be easily transferred to external government agencies and others. In today's enterprise environment, the islands of automation information has to go away. Williams GIS will have a suite of fully developed applications from the database. The key to our GIS success is to have accurate data accessible in real time for our company to be able to provide a single source of data management systems and cost effective planning tool to improve customer services. The GIS is well within the guidelines established for the National Pipeline System Mapping (NPMS) established by the Department of Transportation. Many common practices have been established for Williams Gas Pipeline with the implementation of GIS. The GIS was developed very cost effectively using the latest GIS and Information Technology tools, including web technology.

The need for GIS
There should no longer be stand-alone systems that are independent of other legacy systems and users. Today’s GIS environment has been brought into the fold, both in cost and technology. Source data was in too many places in the past and no one knew which data is correct. GIS can now solve this problem. GIS has become a corporate repository supporting core business facilities and surrounding data. Companies are no longer willing to support multiple databases and sources.

GIS pilot project
A pilot project was developed to test the database structure and to determine what data we were trying to capture. This helped Williams develop GIS for the entire organization. The pilot project data was derived from 590 miles of mainline pipeline from Portland, Oregon to Sumas, Washington. Data capture for the pilot project included:

Pipeline & measurement facilities
Pipeline centerline route
Land base
Environmental
Foreign line crossings
Regulatory compliance
Right of ways
Soil information
Corrosion information

One of the reasons for the pilot project was to enable other WGP business units to move forward with GIS without going through the same process. The WGPWest project was successful but took a lot of positive energy to make it successful.