Fuel Oil News November 2018 | Page 18

Q&A – Fisher German Managing our pipelines FISHER GERMAN’S 120-STRONG UTILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE TEAM PROVIDE SPECIALIST PROPERTY RELATED MANAGEMENT AND PROJECT SERVICES. FUEL OIL NEWS SPOKE WITH CHARTERED SURVEYOR LAURA KNIGHT, MRICS, TO DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE COMPANY’S WORK The team currently oversees more than 3,500 kilometres of buried high pressure hydrocarbon pipeline, coupled with maintenance support on approximately 1,500 kilometres With infrastructure and pipeline management services having been available for over 35 years, the company has developed a dedicated and experienced team to meet the ever-changing challenges and responsibilities faced by pipeline operators. What prompted Fisher German to begin offering infrastructure and pipeline management services 35 years ago? We were approached by the Esso Petroleum Company to assist them with the management of a section of the Mainline Pipelines’ cross- country pipeline network in which Esso had a majority share. Previously, as John German, we had been involved in both gas and water corporations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when services were needed to supply the rapidly expanding urban cities and towns. What skills are needed to manage this highly specialised sector? A wide range of skills are required from maintenance of the above ground pipeline structures to locating the pipelines, through to liaison with owners, occupiers and other third parties who may be affected by the pipeline’s presence. Fisher German has been instrumental in developing a training matrix which covers all aspects of the work we do. How many pipelines does Fisher German cover; how is this work organised and how often are contracts renewed? Within the UK we currently supply support to over 3,500 kms of pipeline. These pipelines vary in length from a couple of kilometres to several hundred, with the majority located in England. We have dedicated teams who support the needs of individual clients with contracts ranging from three to 6 years. In an age of increasing effi ciency and cost cutting, does Fisher German advise clients on steps to be taken to improve a pipeline’s effi ciency? In this excavation, holes are benched out to ensure it is safe to work there. There are two points of access/ egress into this excavation hole; the clear tube down to the spade is a probe to monitor gas levels As we are not directly involved in the ongoing operation of the pipelines themselves, our ability to share effi ciencies is limited to the work we do. Over the years we have invested in IT and remote working strategies to ensure we can cover the needs of a linear asset. Does Fisher German use cathodic protection on all pipelines? All the pipelines with which we interact are covered by cathodic protection but Fisher German does not do the cathodic protection directly. When working on hydrocarbon pipelines does work need to be both proactive and reactive? Yes, we have planned maintenance activities which are scheduled and dealt with on a cyclical basis, but the reactive work is driven by both the clients and third parties who wish to undertake work in and around the pipelines. This aspect has increased signifi cantly in the past 24 months as confi dence in the market has risen and the drive to develop more homes and commercial space has taken place. How old is the newest/most upgraded pipeline for which Fisher German has responsibility? The last pipeline built with which Fisher 18 Fuel Oil News | November 2018 German has an ongoing involvement is Esso’s Birmingham Airport Link which was built in the early 1990s. We have been involved in a number of signifi cant pipeline relays over the past 10 years, and we’re currently supporting the Esso Petroleum Company on the Southampton to London Pipeline Project. Are new technologies such as GIS mapping helping to make pipeline management a little easier than it was 35 years ago? Yes, GIS has revolutionised the way in which we manage the day to day interactions. Surveyors’ maps are our life blood and being able to have them available at the press of a keyboard or the click of a mouse means that records can be visually displayed and linked giving the correct information to all those involved, both in the offi ce and those out in the fi eld. What issues mean that it is essential to dig down to check the condition of a pipeline? Following an internal inspection by a pipeline inspection gauge (PIG) locations of interest are identifi ed with the only way to assess them being to excavate the pipeline. These areas of interest vary and can be a consequence of a