US Earmarks $33Mln to Repair Leaking Natural Gas Pipelines - Energy Dept.

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th August, 2020) The US budgeted $33 million to repair 10 legacy natural gas pipelines with internal reinforcements to mitigate reliance on old exteriors to prevent leaks, the Energy Department said in a press release on Thursday.

"Repair teams will develop natural gas transmission pipeline retrofitting technology to rehabilitate existing cast iron and bare steel pipes by creating new, robust pipes inside of old ones," the release said.

Before repairs can begin, engineers must first develop smart coatings, robotic systems to line the inside of pipes, inspection tools to verify the integrity of the pipes, and mapping tools to enable 3D renderings of pipes and adjacent underground infrastructure, the release said.

"Technologies developed through these projects are working to extend the life of rehabilitated pipes by a minimum of 50 years and ensuring they have sufficient material properties to operate without reliance on the exterior pipe, all while meeting utility and regulatory requirements for use in natural gas distribution pipes," the release added.

Legacy pipes are still in use today and make up roughly 3 percent of distribution pipes in use but they account for a disproportionate number of leaks compared to modern infrastructure, according to the release.

One goal of the project is a 10- to 20-fold reduction in the cost of repairing pipelines with existing methods and technology, the release said.