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2001
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The operations -based GIS implementation
3.3 Mapping / Records management
The GIS System provides an integrated framework for the continued maintenance and use of
pipeline data, as described under data and mapping maintenance above. This framework will
provide consistency, integrity and extensibility of data across multiple organizations and
applications. This will help to reduce or eliminate various data management inefficiencies
related to inaccurate, inadequate, outdated, unsecured, or lost maps, documents and data in
multiple locations.
- The GIS System greatly improves accessibility to a broad range of pipeline information
by the ability to link documents to geographic features. This may include right-of-way
documents, photographs or engineering drawings and maps, including CADD drawings.
One example implemented is Emergency Response documents (in Microsoft Word
format) which contain such information as how to access designated boom sites, phone
numbers for local officials, etc. These documents are linked to icons displayed at the
Emergency Response sites and accessed by simply double-clicking on the icon.
- Engineering, Right-of-Way and Safety, and Operations all have needs for copies of the
USGS quad maps across the entire LPL system. This represents an estimated periodic
cost of $18,000 that could be largely eliminated. We estimate $5,000 of these
expenditures could be saved annually. The GIS System provides this mapping and can
be kept in a more current and consistent state. The routing of the pipelines is also be
current, complete and accurate. Currently the pipe centerlines are hand-drawn on these
maps by personnel in these departments or as located by USGS.
- The current time lapse between when facility repairs, change-outs, additions and new
line crossings occur and when they are as-built onto production drawings and alignment
sheets creates much undocumented inefficiency. This time lapse can range up to 5
years. When an engineer or a PLM crew makes use of an alignment sheet, they can
easily make false assumptions regarding the actual state of the facilities.
- The data maintenance software automatically dates facility maintenance records. This
further enhances querying abilities when it is necessary to identify facilities, such as
sleeves, which were installed within a specific time frame.
3.4 Reporting / Regulatory compliance
The GIS System will facilitate more complete and efficient report generation for either internal
planning or regulatory compliance purposes than was previously possible. Some examples are
encroachment permits, foreign crossing reports, permanent repair reports, and DOT incident
and annual reports.
- One recent event provides a clear example of the cost savings to be achieved. A survey
of all stopple tees on the Lakehead system was required recently by the DOT as a result
of a release. All of the lines in the system were analyzed and records were searched.
The time required for this investigation was 150 hours for an Engineer and 350 hours for
Engineering Services personnel over a span of 3 weeks. The time needed to complete
the search on the GIS portion was 2 hours.
One of the difficulties of this situation is that it was initially impossible to even estimate
for Management or the DOT the number of stopple tees that were in question by the
DOT. Until 2 weeks effort was expended, it was not known if there were 100 or 1000
fittings involved. Searching for this information involved going back to purchasing
records, among all of the other information gathered. The number of fittings involved
turned out to be 250.
The cost for this investigation was approximately $20,000. With the GIS System in place,
it is estimated the cost would be cut by at least 2/3 and preliminary estimates would be
available within 1 day. The savings attributable to this investigation would be
approximately $13,000 if the GIS System were operational for all of the Lakehead
system.
The resulting data from this type of investigation will be lost if it is not incorporated into
the GIS System, as there is no process in place to store or maintain it. With the
increasing reliance on contract workers, the data that is gathered by this type of
investigation is no longer valid within a short period of time after the project is completed.
With contract staff performing the data gathering each time it’s needed, there is little
hope of retaining knowledge regarding the data from a previous investigation that was
done perhaps 3-5 years previously. Data investigations of this type are done at a rate of
3 each year.
- Another example is a second investigation this year requiring information on sleeves.
This involved a total effort of approximately 520 hours over a 4-week period, amounting
to $18,000 in cost for internal labor. The information for Lines 6A and Line 14 was
produced by the GIS System within 3 hours. The GIS System, if implemented for the
entire Lakehead system, would easily have saved $16,000 in internal labor costs.
Assuming 3 investigations per year at estimated savings of $15,000 each, the total
annual savings would be $45,000.
- The National Pipeline Mapping System is based on the submission of location
information by pipeline operators. The information for the Lakehead system was
produced last year by a drafter at a cost of approximately $33,000 for 960 hours of work
over a period of 8 months. This information could be provided more accurately by the
GIS system at a cost under $3,000 and within 2 weeks. The lost opportunity cost for this
work was $30,000
- In response to various proposed rulemakings and information requests, Lakehead Pipe
Line provides information to the API and regulators to assist in determining the impact
and risk of proposed regulations. The use of the GIS System would greatly assist in and
reduce the effort expended in responding to these requests. This is done on a yearly
basis and generally requires several weeks of work. It is estimated the GIS System
would save half of the cost of these investigations.
3.5 Environment / Safety
- Environmental Sensitivity Mapping for Lakehead was completed in 1990 at a cost of
$60,000, including third-party consulting, Lakehead manpower and color duplication.
Many copies of these maps have been made and distributed for emergency planning
and response. There are many cut-and-paste versions of the maps prepared to develop
more detailed site specific response plans. Two sets of these maps have been
submitted to DOT / RSPA as required by regulations. They have also been submitted
upon request to state emergency and environmental agencies. These maps have not
been updated with any pipeline or environmental delineation changes that have occurred
since 1990. The choice of information to be detailed on the GIS-generated maps could
also be easily adapted to each requestor’s needs. The GIS provides a much more
efficient method for updating, printing and distributing this information.
- The existing maps did not contain the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) mapping of
wetlands on them. This information is included in the GIS System for next to no cost via
the Internet.
- In emergency response situations, Lakehead personnel currently use a number of
different maps to aid in planning their response, such as for access to the site, pipeline
information, likely drainage direction, proximity of waterways, investigation by the Office
of Pipeline Safety (OPS), etc. In planning and directing the emergency response, field
personnel may have different maps or do not have ready access to all maps or
information needed. The GIS System provides the same, consistent mapping and
information to everyone involved in the same format including the ability to make custom
maps that can be read from any location with GIS immediately.
3.6 Alignment / Route sheet generation and maintenance
Alignment sheets are generated from the GIS System by alignment sheet generation software.
This process eliminates the need for manual updating or complete re-drafting of the sheets
since they are now just a report from the GIS System.
Lakehead currently spends an average of 6 months of labor each year updating a portion of the
alignment sheets. The sheets are updated on average every 3-5 years for facility data, and
generally not updated for land base information. It is estimated to take 1 FTE (Full Time
Equivalent) to keep all facility information maintained continually for all lines.
With the GIS in place, all facility information for the entire system would be maintained
continually up-to-date with approximately 2/3 of an FTE. Much of the maintenance of the data is
automated or “assisted” by use of the GIS maintenance software and the integration of the PLM
Reporting System with the GIS. The difference in cost for data maintenance for pipeline
facilities is 1/3 of an FTE, or $24,000 annually.
Included in the implementation costs for the GIS System is the updating of the alignment sheet
data for all lines, producing completely up-to-date alignment sheets for each line as it is brought
into the system. This is a direct saving which would be realized as the rest of the Lakehead
system is brought into the GIS System.
The one-time effort of bringing all alignment sheets up to date as of the beginning of the GIS
project is estimated at 18 months for 1 FTE. This represents $109,000 in savings when GIS is
fully implemented.
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