WorldWide Drilling Resource®

Permian Highway Pipeline Construction Under Watchful Eye Adapted from Information by the Railroad Commission of Texas and Kinder Morgan The Permian Highway Pipeline (PHP) is one of the largest pipeline construction projects in Texas. Stretching more than 400 miles from the Permian Basin to the Houston area, inspectors with the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) are conducting inspections of the project which will bring natural gas from West Texas to the international market. The RRC is conducting rigorous inspections to ensure the pipeline is constructed in the safest way possible, as the pipeline operator, Kinder Morgan, navigates through some of the state’s sensitive Texas Hill Country. Inspectors from two key RRC groups, the Oil and Gas and Pipeline Safety divisions, have examined and assessed work being done on the project, conducting more than 75 inspections. Pipeline safety inspectors examined welding, pipe transportation procedures, coating thickness, trench backfilling, operation of safety equipment, material records, and more. “Our inspectors have been hard at work, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure Kinder Morgan is compliant with Commission rules that are in place to protect public safety and natural resources,” said RRC Executive Director Wei Wang. “In addition to the all-hands efforts within the agency, we are also in contact with resident groups and the company as construction progresses. When it is complete, this pipeline will add vital capacity to convey natural gas, which in turn will also help ongoing efforts to further reduce flaring in West Texas.” New pipeline construction is important to the future of the gas and oil industry. It is a safer, more efficient method of transporting large amounts of gas and oil. According to Texas Pipeline Association estimates, a 20-inch pipeline running 50 miles can replace up to 1650 tanker trucks carrying oil on U.S. roads. The $2 billion PHP Project is designed to transport up to 2.1 Bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day) of natural gas through a 42inch pipeline to the U.S. Gulf Coast. It is expected to be completed in early 2021. Photo of inspection site in Kimble County courtesy of RRC. DIR 18 OCTOBER 2020 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®

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