June 13, 2018

Pipeline SMS Team Members,

I hope everyone is enjoying some warmer weather as summer fast approaches! It has been a busy start for Pipeline SMS in 2018, and this newsletter will provide updates on the many important Pipeline SMS activities and initiatives already underway.

This year, the Pipeline SMS Industry Team’s goal was to “make it real” for everyone involved in a company’s Pipeline SMS, sharing the successes, challenges and lessons learned along the implementation journey in trainings, reports and communications. A key step this year in making Pipeline SMS implementation achievable and accessible for operators was revamping our website and external materials to be more understandable, easy to navigate and uniform across liquids, gas transmission and gas distribution operators. The 2017 Pipeline SMS Annual Report is one such illustration of making implementation real, illustrating successes and perspectives from the expanded trade association representation. In addition, recent and upcoming webinars are developed with the intent to help operators use implementation tools and benchmark progress along the Maturity Model. Already this year, members of the Industry Team have participated in several important sharing events to spread best practices and lessons learned among operators and associations.

Included in this newsletter are recent group activities and relevant updates, along with upcoming events and trainings. One such event I would like to invite you all to is the June 26 webinar on the Pipeline SMS Evaluation Tool, with additional details available here. Please feel free to send this newsletter to anyone in your organization participating in Pipeline SMS, and I welcome any thoughts, feedback or sharing any of you would like to provide as we progress along our journey of Pipeline SMS implementation to myself, MurkD@api.org, or the Pipeline SMS email account, PipelineSMS@api.org.

Thank you,

David Murk
API Pipeline Manager

DEMONSTRATING PROGRESS

2017 Pipeline SMS Annual Report

In advance of the API Pipeline Conference in April, the Industry Team released the 2017 Pipeline SMS Annual Report to illustrate the valuable progress being made in Pipeline SMS implementation over the last year. The report reflects the “One Industry, One Goal” development across the newly expanded group membership that now includes liquids, gas transmission and gas distribution pipeline operators. The annual report outlines the developments of the Industry Team in 2017 and provides anecdotes from the many journeys pipeline operators are embarking on across the industry, depending on company size, assets, existing safety management systems and other factors. The 2017 Pipeline SMS Annual Report also outlines goals for 2018, including aligning key performance indicators (KPIs) for each industry segment that can be used to measure progress over time and beginning pilot audits under the voluntary audit program.

COMMUNICATING PIPELINE SMS

Website and Materials Rebranded

This spring, the Pipeline SMS Industry Team revamped the www.PipelineSMS.org website and all external materials, including fact sheets, booklets and annual reports, to follow a common branding theme and tie all Pipeline SMS industry materials together. A style guide was developed and approved by the Industry Team that aligns the look and feel of Pipeline SMS materials, tools and the website. The newly updated website improves functionality, design and operating experience and allows users to easily access Pipeline SMS tools, trainings and upcoming events as a centralized repository for all Pipeline SMS industry efforts. The updated site is designed to support operators starting out on Pipeline SMS implementation, as well as those well along in the journey, and provides an easy-to-use hub for Pipeline SMS tools, trainings and presentations. The refurbished website also allows visitors to sign up to the "Stay Informed" list, which will add them to our mailing listserve, or submit a comment or inquiry using the "Contact" page. Feel free to explore the website, and please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any thoughts or feedback!

Recent Pipeline SMS Presentations

DCA & AGA Utility Contractor Workshop

On April 12, API Policy Advisor Stuart Saulters presented to the joint Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) and the American Gas Association (AGA) Utility Contractor Workshop. The workshop provided an opportunity for the Industry Team to promote Pipeline SMS with the contractor community, critical stakeholders in the pipeline industry. Saulters encouraged contractors to compare their existing Pipeline SMS programs with the elements of API RP 1173 to benchmark progress along the PHMSA-approved Maturity Model. In the presentation, Saulters also emphasized the Pipeline SMS website as a resource tool for those just starting out on their Pipeline SMS implementation. PHMSA Senior Program Manager Annmarie Robertson shared the agency’s plans not to regulate Pipeline SMS implementation and stated she was encouraged by industry’s efforts to date.

API Pipeline Conference

This year’s API Pipeline Conference was an excellent opportunity to make Pipeline SMS implementation real for the over 500 conference attendees and share SMS progressions from the perspectives of liquids, gas transmission and gas distribution pipeline operators. Ann-Marie Kayser of Marathon Petroleum Corporation gave an update on Industry Team activities, followed by implementation updates from Paul Amato, Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company; Nancy Conder, Vectren Utilities; Christine Shorokey, MIPC, LCC; and Don Stanton, CPS Energy. Panelists described the successes, lessons learned and challenges with implementing Pipeline SMS among both large and small companies in the liquids and gas transmission and distribution industries with existing or brand-new SMS programs, and allowed attendees to ask questions to inform their own implementation journeys. The sessions were very well attended and big thanks goes out to those who participated on the panel. View the publicly available Pipeline SMS panel presentations here!

Additional Pipeline SMS Presentations

• National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), February 12
• Distribution Contractors Association (DCA), February 26
• Integrity Plus, Integrity Management and Compliance Symposium, May 15

TOOLS & TRAINING

Pipeline SMS Tools Released

Over the last several months, the Industry Team has unveiled several Pipeline SMS tools to assist operators in implementation. The tools, which are all available on the Pipeline SMS website, also have companion instructional guidance to assist in their completion, if needed. Access the tools below, and feel free to contact PipelineSMS@api.org with any questions:

• Planning Tool and Instructions
• Implementation Tool and Instructions
• Conformance Guidance Checklist

Evaluation Tool and Third Party Audit

The Pipeline SMS effectiveness work group continues to work on the development of the evaluation tool for evaluating maturity as systems reach conformance into the effectiveness phase of implementation. The team is working toward having the tool ready for the June 26th webinar and is working with industry volunteers to test and pilot the tool. Feedback on the use of the tool will also be a key input to the October 10th workshop. Development work also continues on the API third party audit with the goal of piloting the process with Pipeline SMS auditors and the tools starting in Q3 2018.

API RP 1173 eLearning Training

API is working with a six-person team of Pipeline SMS subject matter experts (SME) to develop eLearning on API RP 1173. The SME team is made up of volunteer members representing the different segments of the pipeline industry involved in Pipeline SMS (API, AOPL, INGAA, AGA, CEPA and APGA). The outline has been approved and the API RP 1173 overview training will be launched this summer. If there are any questions regarding the training, please email Aaron Duke, DukeA@api.org.

Team Webinars

The Pipeline SMS Industry Team has hosted three webinars so far in 2018 to socialize recently developed Pipeline SMS conformance and evaluation tools with pipeline operators, walk them through the application of the tools and answer any pertinent questions. As the tools are released and published on the website, the Industry Team ensured the tools were fit-for-purpose, flexible and scalable for operators of different sizes.

Most recently, the Team hosted a webinar on the Third-Party Audit Tool on April 19 with over 80 participants from both the liquids and gas pipeline industries. During the webinar, Aaron Duke, API, and Bill Byrd from RCP walked through the evaluation tool, as well as the third-party audit process, audit team/auditors, training and the proposed schedule and fielded questions from attendees.

In late February, the Pipeline SMS Team held a webinar on the Implementation, Conformance and Evaluation tools with more than 80 attendees. The Team walked through the planning tool, used to identify gaps in existing systems and document action plans to close gaps, as well as the implementation tool, designed to help operators track the development of programs to implement the RP. Facilitators also reviewed the conformance checklist, which is intended as a reference document when completing the other tools rather than a scoring assessment and discussed the roll-out plan for the evaluation tool, set to be released this month.

The Industry Team kicked off 2018 with a January 25 webinar on the Maturity Model which generated a great deal of interest with over 70 registering for the webinar. The Team gave an overview of the Maturity Model as a tool to help operators evaluate the growth and development of its Pipeline SMS and point the way forward for further improvements. This webinar set the stage for 2018’s mission to make implementation real for operators no matter where they are along the implementation journey by providing practical trainings facilitated by Pipeline SMS experts, easily accessible tools and an industry community focused on sharing, learning and continuous improvement.

MORE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UPDATES

Liquids Pipeline Emergency Response Management System

API is currently working with operators to implement API Recommended Practice (RP) 1174, Onshore Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Emergency Preparedness & Response. This effort aligns with RP 1173 implementation, as RP 1174 gives operators the tactics and strategies to demonstrate conformance to Element 12.

The goal of all operators is to conduct an efficient and safe emergency response in the event of an incident or spill. The guidance in API RP 1174 provides a framework for an effective emergency response, ensuring a response is carried out safely and help reduce potential environmental impacts through enhanced efficiency.

This Recommend Practice (RP) is intended to align industry, government, and emergency response organizations’ expectations practices, and competencies. In addition, this RP will promote safe, timely, and effective response to incidents.

API and AOPL have created materials to aid operators in assessing their current level of conformance with the RP, as well as aid them in planning and prioritizing further efforts to make their ER programs more robust. All tools can be found a here on the Emergency Response Management System page of PipelineSMS.org.

So far, 9 operators representing 55% of all liquids pipeline products have committed to implementing RP 1174, with our goal being to reach as many operators as possible.

We are working with operators in establishing their baseline conformance and hope to report the industry average in the next newsletter. For more information on what commitment means for your company and how to sign the commitment letter, please visit the ER management system website here or contact Colin Frazier, FrazierC@api.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Pipeline SMS Evaluation Tool Webinar - June 26

Please join the Pipeline SMS Team on June 26 at 11:00 am ET for a webinar on the evaluation tool. The tool will be completed shortly and will be published on the website. The webinar is open to all interested parties and prior registration is not needed. Additional details, including webinar link and call-in number are available here. If your company is interested in piloting the evaluation tool, please email PipelineSMS@api.org.

Pipeline SMS Tools Workshop - October 10

The Pipeline SMS Team invites you to the Pipeline SMS Tools workshop on October 10, 2018 in Galveston, TX. Attendees will have the opportunity to walk through using the implementation tools on particular elements of a Pipeline SMS with industry facilitators. The interactive sessions will include question-and-answer blocks where participants can identify operator-specific challenges or lessons learned. Additional details are available here and registration will be open soon.

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