AGA White Paper Intergenerational Transfer of Knowledge

Executive Summary

This white paper was written by members of AGA’s Distribution and Transmission Engineering Committee. The purpose of the Intergenerational Transfer of Knowledge is to act as a guide for training development for beginner and intermediate degreed engineers and engineering technicians in the natural gas industry. The corresponding transfer of knowledge categories is a breakdown of the major job responsibilities of engineers and engineering technicians. The categories are separated into 10 major knowledge categories that are critical to the everyday work of an engineer or engineering technician. These include pipeline design, system planning, mapping, right of way, engineering economics, project management, operations and maintenance, and construction. The additional categories of soft skills and business acumen may not be directly related to engineering work, but are nevertheless considered essential skills to the natural gas industry. The categories are then divided into more specific levels of Topics to Transfer. Each Topic to Transfer is then further defined by the theory and practical application that should be considered for inclusion in the development of training materials on this topic.

Table of Contents

I. Purpose and Scope ...... 4

II. General Definitions ...... 4

III. Outline of Knowledge Categories ...... 5

a. Pipeline Design ...... 6

b. System Planning...... 8

c. Mapping ...... 9

d. Right Of Way ...... 9

e. Engineering Economics ...... 9

f. Project Management ...... 10

g. Operations and Maintenance...... 10

h. Construction ...... 11

i. Soft Skills ...... 11

j. Business Acumen ...... 12

IV. Notices and Copyright ...... 13 4

I. Purpose and Scope

The intent of this white paper is to provide guidance for the development of training curriculum for engineers and engineer technicians coming into the natural gas industry. The training outline is broken down into the broad knowledge categories that are critical for the everyday function and responsibilities of engineers and engineer technicians.

The Knowledge Categories are separated into ten major areas: pipeline design, system planning, mapping, right of way, engineering economics, project management, operations and maintenance, construction, soft skills, and business acumen. These broad categories include the primary target – engineers, or engineers and engineer technicians.

The outline further breaks down the Knowledge Categories into the specific topics, Topics to Transfer that should be included in the training on that category.

II. General Definitions

ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Automatic Shut-Off Valve: An Automatic Shut-Off Valve (ASV) is a valve that has electric or gas powered actuators to operate the valve automatically based on data sent to the actuator from pipeline sensors.

CAD: Computer Aided Design.

ECDA: External Corrosion Direct Assessment.

EPR: Electronic Pressure Recording.

GPTC: Gas Piping Technology Committee.

HCA: High Consequence Area.

HDD: Horizontal Directional Drilling.

ICDA: Internal Corrosion Direct Assessment.

LDC: Local Distribution Company.

MAOP: The Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure for a specific section of pipeline.

MOP: The Maximum Operating Pressure for a specific section of pipeline.

NACE: National Association of Corrosion Engineers.

PUC: Public Utility Commission.

RCV: A Remote Control Valve (RCV) is a valve equipped with electric or gas powered actuators to operate (open or close) the valve based on an order (signal) from a remote location, such as a gas control room.

RTU: Remote Terminal Unit is a piece of equipment that transmits data to the SCADA system.

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System ): A computer-based system or systems used by Gas Controllers in the Control Room that collects and displays information about pipeline systems and has the ability to send commands back to the pipeline systems.

III. Outline of Knowledge Categories

The following outline is organized by the general knowledge categories and target audience, broken down to more specific topics, including short descriptions of items to be covered by that topic.

a. Pipeline Design (Engineer)

1. Plastic Pipeline Design • Material behavior; specifications; design formulas and factors; pipe selection; fittings; bending; joining; locating; and design considerations for operations and maintenance.

2. Basic Steel Pipeline Design • Distribution and Transmission - stress formulas; material behavior and engineering properties; specifications; design formulas and factors; pipe selection; fittings; bending; joining; and coatings.

3. Advanced Steel Pipeline Design • Designing for pigging; smart pigs; welding; ductility; buoyancy; large diameter bending; extrusions; branch reinforcement; Non-Destructive Testing; ASME B31.8 Code – Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems; and designing for Horizontal Directional Drilling.

4. Corrosion Control • Rectifiers; anodes; anode beds; pipe coatings; and corrosion mitigation.

5. Equipment and Material Selection • General - related to main; meter/regulator sets; gate station; valves; filters; heaters; SCADA equipment; and Remote Control Valve/Automatic Shut-Off Valve.

6. Crossing Design • Design of highway, railroad, aerial and water crossings: loading and service conditions; material behavior under expected loads; material specifications; installation specifications; structural support design; thermal properties of steel & plastic pipe; buoyancy; and use of casings.

7. Environmental Protection • Review of federal, state, and local regulations; review of company policies, procedures, standards, and specifications; soil erosion guidelines; water quality guidelines; archeological surveys; effects on route selection; protection methods and techniques; and permitting.

8. Pressure Regulation -Theory and Practice • Pressure regulation basics; types of regulators; and overpressure protection.

9. Regulator Station Design • Specifications; site conditions; noise and vibration; component sizing and layout; flow, velocity and pressure drop; structural design; vault and foundation design; design for installation and maintenance; contaminants; freezing/hydrates; heaters; and control systems.

10. Pressure Control Regulations • Federal Code requirements for pressure control design.

11. Measurement Theory and Practice • Basic gas laws; measurement of natural gas; types of meters; meter sizing (residential and commercial); metering & pressure regulation; and instrumentation (including gas composition & energy content measurement).

12. Meter Set Assembly Design • Meter set design - 1.5M rotary meters through turbines; specifications; site considerations; component sizing & layout; flow, velocity & pressure drop; structural design; design for installation & maintenance; contaminants; freezing/hydrates; heaters; and control systems.

13. Risk Assessment – Repair vs. Replace • Judgment/parameters used when deciding to move from repair to replace.

14. Class Location • Code definition; population density requirements; and impact on pipeline design.

15. Qualification of MAOP and Testing • Establishing pipeline MAOP; initial pressure testing to set MAOP; Hydrotesting; test procedures; and test mediums.

16. Increase in MOP and MAOP (Uprating) • Code requirements; records required; limitations; and process/steps to perform the uprating.

17. Purging, Blowdown and Tie-in Procedures • Purging procedures - how to take line out of service and reenergize.

18. Electronic Instruments/Telemetry • SCADA; RTU's, EPR's, and how to download data; transmitters; and overview of process control.

19. Odorization • Site selection; determining level of odorant injection; design of odorant injection systems; and odor fade.

20. Main and Service Onsite Location Design • General design requirements for main installation in design manual – sizing; working with other utilities for locating; construction methods - plow, HDD, direct bury, and insertion.

21. Developing Design Standards • Regulatory environment; overview of design-related policies; procedures; standards and specifications; and standards development process.

22. Excess Flow Valve (EFV) Design • Applications; sizing; and record keeping.

23. Gas Conditioning Facilities • Contaminant evaluation; and collection and removal, including solids, liquids, and hydrates.

24. Coordination with Construction, Operations and Maintenance • Effect of design decisions on the construction, operation, and maintenance of distribution and transmission facilities.

b. System Planning (Engineer)

1. Basic System Planning • System modeling software; overview of system planning; system loads; gas flow behavior; capacity design principles; and network analysis basics.

2. Advanced System Planning • Types of planning models and their uses; and problem solving sessions.

3. System Modeling Software • Overview of system modeling process; steady state vs. unsteady state (transient) analysis; types of models; and instruction in using specific modeling software.

4. Diversification and Sizing Service Lines • Determining need for Excess Flow Valves (EFV) and if need to change size based on diversification.

5. Storage and Peaking Facilities • Types; size; and operating parameters. 9 c. Mapping (Engineer/Engineer Technician)

1. General Understanding of Mapping • High level general understanding of system mapping.

2. National Mapping Standards • Overview of National Mapping Standards.

3. Construction Drawings • What needs to be contained in a construction package – i.e., permit sketch and construction drawings.

4. Basic CAD Design • Overview of CAD for basic designs, i.e., meter and regulator set designs.

5. As-Built Documentation • Reading and interpreting plans.

d. Right of Way (Engineer/Engineer Technician)

1. Easements and Surveying • Preparing and being able to read easements; Survey data; Railroad easements; and Right Of Way (ROW) agreements.

e. Engineering Economics (Engineer)

1. Material Procurement • Processes to obtain/purchase materials.

2. Estimating • Process to determine projected costs for projects.

3. Project Accounting and Variance Explanations • Accounting systems; Project cost reports; and Variance triggers.

4. Comparing projects • Process for ranking projects; metrics used for analysis; and impact on capital budgeting.

10 f. Project Management (Engineer)

1. Basic Project Management • Construction and work management systems; and using project management software.

2. Concepts of Project Management • Gantt chart; work order system; and material management information systems (describes all materials).

g. Operations and Maintenance (Engineer)

1. Regulatory Compliance Overview • Overview of the Federal Code, CFR 192; GPTC guidance; and State statutes.

2. Management of Maintenance Activities • Managing compliance driven projects/activities; and allowable time limits.

3. Measurement • Overview of codes related to metering and measurement (Federal and State).

4. Corrosion Control • Overview of codes related to Corrosion Control; and NACE standards.

5. Gas Control • Overview of Gas Control and interrelationships with other groups, i.e., System Planning.

6. Basic Gas Utilization • Overview of gas utilization safely efficiently.

7. Legacy Pipe Materials (i.e., Cast Iron, Bare Steel, PVC) • Engineering properties and material behavior; codes and regulations; overview of design and construction; expected issues and problems; and repair methods.

8. Transmission Integrity Management Plan (TIMP) • Code overview; TIMP Planning; TIMP implementation; TIMP improvement; change management; HCA management; risk modeling; assessment planning; inline inspection; ECDA; ICDA; and Preventative and Mitigative measures.

9. Distribution Integrity Management Plan (DIMP) • Code overview; DIMP Planning; DIMP implementation; DIMP improvement; and risk modeling.

10. Leak Management • Leak management plan; leak management equipment; and leak repair.

11. Damage Prevention • One Call requirements; locate and mark; and public awareness.

h. Construction (Engineer/Engineer Technician)

1. Construction Technician • Basic construction - Get appreciation for construction - see work and what is involved - Open trench, direct bury, insertion, plow, HDD.

2. Large Pressure Control • Line stopper fittings, etc. to control gas and take lines out of service.

3. Contractor Inspection • Good construction practices.

4. Fabrication and Joining • Welding; fusion joints.

5. Combustible Gas Indicator (CGI) • Become qualified to use CGI's.

6. Flame Ionization Units (FIU) • Become qualified to use FIU's.

7. Welding Inspection for Non-Welders • Recognize good/bad welds.

i. Soft Skills (Engineer)

1. Field Ambassador • Dealing with regulators; and labor relations, etc.

2. Management (various) • Basic entry level management - maximizing performance, managing change, etc. 12 j. Business Acumen (Engineer)

1. Gas supplier economics – interstate • Basic pipeline gas supply to LDC's - process; delivery; interstate tariff and transportation/storage.

2. Rates/Tariffs – LDC • Overview of gas distribution company tariffs and ratemaking at state levels (PUC) - deregulation economics; and rate case overview.

3. Customer Interaction - Rates/Supplier Economics • Customer choice models in a deregulated marketplace - residential and industrial (delivery service); and review how utilities make money in the deregulated environment.

4. Materials Inventory Processes • Gas company inventory practices - economic treatment of inventory costs; and review inventory and supplier management concepts.

5. Material Suppliers • Gas business material supplier network; site visits; and upstream suppliers including vertical and remote supply chains.

6. Capital and Expense Budgeting • Overview of the Capital and Operations Expense budgeting and planning process; and main replacement programs. 13

IV. Notices and Copyright

The American Gas Association (AGA) coordinated the creation and maintenance of this document. While AGA provides administrative services, it does not independently test, evaluate, or verify the accuracy or soundness of any statements contained in this document.

This document is based on information that has not been verified or audited. The AGA disclaims liability for any personal injury, property or other damages of any nature whatsoever, whether special, indirect, consequential or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from the publication, use of, or reliance on this document. The AGA also makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee in connection with this document, including, the accuracy, or completeness of the information therein. Nothing contained in this document should be viewed as an endorsement or disapproval of any particular service provider, product, or methodology.

In issuing and making this document available, the AGA is not undertaking to render professional or other services for or on behalf of any person or entity. Nor is the AGA undertaking to perform any duty owed by any person or entity to someone else. Anyone using this document should rely on his or her own independent judgment or, as appropriate, seek the advice of a competent professional in determining the exercise of reasonable care in any given circumstances.

Users of this document should consult applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The AGA does not, by the publication of this document, intend to urge action that is not in compliance with applicable laws, and this document may not be construed as doing so.

The information contained in this document is not intended as legal advice or as an opinion on specific facts. For information about these issues, the User should consult the User’s employer or seek the advice of a competent professional.

All questions, requests for revisions, or other communications relating to this document should be sent to: American Gas Association, Attention: AGA Operating Section, 400 N. Capitol St., N.W., Suite 450, Washington, D.C. 20001