Pipelines are responsible for safely transporting petroleum and natural gas over 2.6 million miles. The pipeline systems that are used to transport products must be maintained to prevent against pipeline anomalies, such as cracking. Being able to assess pipelines and manage threats are key elements of an operator’s successful integrity management plan.
In 2016 API introduced a new recommended practice for crack management programs, API RP 1176. This document is intended to help industry more effectively use API RP 1176 by highlighting pertinent sections and key considerations. Senior leaders can use this document to get an overview, while subject-matter experts (SMEs) are encouraged to read the whole RP in an effort to fully understand implementation.