Operations

Pipeline operators have a strong track record of safe operations. But on rare occasions, an incident may occur that demands immediate response. GIS is essential to all four elements of the emergency management plan pipeline operators rely on in these cases: risk mitigation, readiness, response, and recovery. Using GIS to integrate data from multiple data sources into one map is essential. Informative integrated maps in dashboards provide a comprehensive and engaging view of the data needed for at-a-glance decision-making and activity planning.

While some pipeline assets are at a fixed location, pipelines are not static assets. Changes are always occurring, sometimes rapidly. Real-time data from sensors, devices, and feeds enable pipeline staff to better address common user workflows that rely on access to the latest information to advance operational excellence. With real-time GIS, maps and databases are continuously updated, trends are observed as they form, and the workforce is alerted the moment activity or performance reaches a critical threshold.

Pipeline operators routinely run pigs through their pipe network to keep the pipes' interior clean and free of anything that might affect flow capabilities or other performance issues. ArcGIS tracks the location of launchers and receivers. This makes it ideal to support cleaning pig planning and tracking.

Managing how resources are sourced, stored, and moved from one location to another is key to pipeline operations. Location is key to each step in the process. ArcGIS enables pipeliners to get themselves and the resources they need from one location to another quickly. This is essential to optimizing pipeline operations and responsiveness.