When the Brandt Group of Companies’ Equipment Solutions Division reached out to pipeline professionals for feedback on what makes an ideal pipelayer, the response was that safety was number one. And two. And three. The team took it to heart—and to market. Five years ago, after decades of serving the oil and gas pipeline industry, Brandt entered the pipelayer market, collaborating with the engineering team at John Deere on a dedicated pipelayer. They designed the machine with an innovative low-mount sideboom, which delivers a wider stance for the lowest ground pressures and highest stability r ..read more

Guidelines and Best Practices to Follow on Energy Jobsites The oil and gas industry is one of our nation’s most crucial because it supplies such a large portion of our energy needs. Unfortunately, it has historically been one of our nation’s most dangerous industries as well. The difference between a safe day on the job and an accident often comes down to you. Keep these 10 essential safety tips in mind to avoid becoming a statistic. 1. Maintain and Utilize Property Safety Apparel Visibility is a major factor in workplace safety. That is why your high visibility clothing includes high-visibil ..read more

Energy Transition — the new concept in the energy market. As energy industry professionals are keenly aware, the Energy Transition is a hot topic with significant economic, political and engineering aspects. I recently moderated a webinar with industry professionals discussing “Pipeline Solutions in the Energy Transition.” Through that discussion, and the research I undertook to prepare for the conversation, two main themes developed: The energy industry and transition are wildly “VUCA” (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) in nature with both significant business risk and tremendous ..read more

The North American Pipeline Project Roundup is a monthly feature that documents recent contracts awarded within the energy pipeline construction sector. Pe Ben USA Inc. was awarded a contract for the hauling and load out of approximately 22.7 miles of 24-in. pipe in Ector County, Texas. Headquarters is Odessa, Texas. The superintendent is Greg Michel. Approximate start date: Oct. 26. Pe Ben USA Inc. was awarded a contract for the loading, hauling and stockpiling of approximately 19.4 miles 16-in. pipe in Utah and Duchesne counties, Utah. Headquarters is Vineyard, Utah. The superintendent is R ..read more

The energy pipeline industry is experiencing significant changes. With the discussion about Energy Transition, there has been increased interest in developing infrastructure to decarbonize energy supplies through the use of hydrogen gas (H2) and the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2). As with oil and natural gas pipelines, welding will continue to be a critical component in the construction of hydrogen and carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) pipelines. North American Energy Pipelines spoke with two experts in the pipeline welding field about current trends in the market and how the Energy Tra ..read more

Despite public and political challenges, a new report shows that proposed Appalachia-to-Southeast pipelines may provide tangible emissions reduction opportunities. In the latest Validere Insights report, Validere’s Market Fundamentals Team illustrated the natural gas industry’s climate benefits. The report examines the market and environmental impacts of projects such as the canceled Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) and delayed Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), and how they could reduce CO2-equivalent emissions as well as reduce the region’s reliance on coal. “The burner-tip emissions benefit ..read more

Impacts of the U.S. Midterm Election Voting Results on the Pipeline Industry It took more than a week after the election for the Republicans to win enough seats to control the U.S. House of Representatives. While Democrats will maintain control of the Senate, the Dec. 6 Georgia runoff election between incumbent Raphael Warnock (D) and Herschel Walker (R) will determine whether the status quo is maintained (50-50 Senate with ties broken by Vice President Kamala Harris) or the Democrats gain an extra seat, thereby reducing Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) ability to thwart or shape President Joe Bi ..read more

The vision is there. Wouldn’t it be great if the entire jobsite – the general contractor, subs, designers, owners, equipment vendors and material suppliers – were all working in sync with the data that shifts with each condition change, progress report, change order, telematics warning, and machine inspection? That the right people got the right information at the right time to make informed decisions? This one-dashboard vision is much, much easier said than done. The journey of one equipment manager illuminates the roadblocks. Several years back, Langdon Mitchell, equipment division general m ..read more

Colonial Pipeline has hired Melanie Little, a midstream industry leader with more than two decades of experience, as the company’s next president and CEO. Melanie Little Little joins Colonial from Magellan Midstream Partners LP, where she served as chief operating officer. “We are excited to welcome Melanie, who brings to Colonial broad industry experience and a passion for people, both of which will be vital to Colonial’s continued success,” said Andy Stilley, chairman of Colonial’s board of directors. Little succeeds Joseph A. Blount Jr., who this summer announced his plan to retire at the e ..read more

Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is a longtime plague of petrochemical, refinery and marine environments. The problem is so bad that an estimated 40-60 percent of piping maintenance costs in the oil and gas industry stem from CUI-related expenses. Even worse, undetected CUI on pipes carrying hazardous liquids may lead to leaks and potential explosions. To tackle this dangerous and costly problem, Cortec Corp. has developed CorroLogic CUI Inhibitor Injection, a new vapor phase corrosion inhibitor technology that simplifies protection for insulated pipes reaching a high range of temperatures. Wh ..read more