A lot of attention is being paid nowadays to aging infrastructure. And rightly so. Government agencies that regulate infrastructure -- including pipelines like Colonial’s -- want assurances that we operate safely. And people who live nearby want to be -- and deserve to be -- confident that the communities they call home are safe.

I can’t speak for all infrastructure, but I can address pipelines like Colonial’s that carry refined petroleum products.  In most cases, these are the pipelines we depend on for gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil, jet fuel, and military fuels. They may be decades old, but like most assets, age of the pipe is just one of many factors that help determine a pipeline’s fitness for service.

Pipeline maintenance has improved significantly in the almost 50 years that Colonial has been in existence. In the 1980’s the industry began using internal inspection devices -- sometimes called smart pigs -- to check for dents or signs of corrosion as small as a half-inch in diameter. These devices have become more sophisticated over time, allowing us to essentially look inside the pipelines we inspect.  

This helps us make better decisions about when sections of pipeline need to be repaired or replaced. Before they are buried, pipelines are covered with protective coating. And along the right-of-way we have devices that actually inhibit the steel pipe from rusting.  These and similar efforts combine to extend the life of pipeline infrastructure for many decades to come.

In fact, the latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation show that pipeline releases were reduced by 36% between 2002-2009 and that releases from pipe installed before 1950 were reduced by 83% over the same period. That’s great news for all of us.

Last year Colonial spent $75 million maintaining the integrity of the pipeline. Over the past decade, that amount is more than a half billion dollars. More than 80% of our employees are directly involved in either maintaining or operating the lines. All of us are committed to making sure our pipelines are sound. 

Last year Colonial lost only 39 barrels of the 850 million barrels we transported. Of those 39 barrels, all but eight were contained within our facilities. And less than half a gallon was released from line pipe. We’re proud that our efforts to maintain our pipelines did not compromise the safety of any of our neighbors.  Even so, we look to do better; our goal is always ZERO incidents.

But it’s not just about the technology. It takes dedicated personnel to keep a pipeline safe. Pilots fly our lines looking for unauthorized digging on the right-of-way. Inspectors walk the line and respond to the almost 800 one-call locate requests we receive each day. In Control Centers along the pipeline we monitor temperatures, pressures and watch for signs of trouble 24 hours a day. People make the difference, and I’m proud to say that we have some of the best.

I urge you to read Colonial’s Operations Philosophy elsewhere on this website. It describes our role as pipeline operators and clearly defines our priority:  We care about your safety. Every employee has the right and responsibility to shut down the pipeline if he or she believes it may be endangering the public, environment, themselves or their co-workers.

 
Tim Felt
President and CEO
Colonial Pipeline