Application of identification standards for high consequence areas of oil and gas pipeline in Myanmar-China mountainous pipeline

In response to the complex geographical environment and great difficulty in risk control of high consequence areas(HCAs) of mountainous pipelines, accurate identification of the HCA type and grade, if achievable, could effectively improve the operation safety of pipelines. However, the existing identification standards have certain limitations when applied to the mountainous oil and gas pipelines.Therefore, it was necessary that Myanmar-China Oil and Gas Pipeline(China section) was employed for the case study. According to the Oil and Gas Pipeline Integrity Management Specification(GB 32167—2015), the HCAs of oil and gas pipelines were identified and analyzed to identify the HCA types and the characteristics of identification items to be concerned. The analysis and classification were made for the environmental characteristics in mountainous areas, so as to find out the influence of the mountainous environment on oil and gas pipeline leakage. Additionally, the limitations of the current HCA identification standards for mountainous oil and gas pipelines were outlined here.The study results have certain reference significance for the identification and management of HCAs of mountainous pipelines, as well as the potential standard revisions.