| Pipeline safety and risk management are two notions | | | | helper in the determining of risk management |
| gas pipeline maps regularly deal with. The | | | | features and of potential responses/solutions to such |
| environmental issues, the cost-effective matters of | | | | factors, GIS technology and geodatabases are |
| pipeline management, the influence on human and | | | | regularly appropriated by the correct systematization |
| fauna activities, all these are matters at the core of | | | | of a gas pipeline map in order to outline the reciprocal |
| which lies the need for a secure and productive | | | | spatial dependence of the items represented. |
| system of pipelines. | | | | Moreover, the same technologies can be used not |
| Any gas pipeline map will include elements of | | | | only to diagnose certain circumstances, but also to |
| geography. This is why GIS is a technology many | | | | render a final, detailed analysis, including the |
| pipeline industry developers or investors are assisted | | | | corresponding conclusions and potential |
| by. The accurate establishment of the coordinates of | | | | recommendations for the solving of acute issues. |
| a gas pipeline map or of an entire system of gas | | | | If we consider once again NGPL and their insistent, |
| pipeline maps is a must. Owing to such coordinates, | | | | exigent Chicago customers, gas pipeline maps make |
| we are able to examine, provide details about and | | | | the key element in the maintenance and risk |
| thus moderate and even diminish potential risks that | | | | preventing of highly solicited pipeline systems |
| may be brought by the negligence of the mutual | | | | (consider that the top day deliverability of NGPL will |
| impact of pipeline structures and their surrounding | | | | go up to 5.7 Bcf/day). However, how do map |
| areas. | | | | creators handle map specificity more precisely? |
| With the adequate organization of gas pipeline maps, | | | | The answer to this question will bring us again to the |
| the probability of overlooking such a mutual influence | | | | advantages of GIS. Any gas pipeline map which |
| is markedly lowered. The advantages a well-designed | | | | employs GIS technology may "benefit" from one |
| gas pipeline map will generate are valuable both for | | | | particular feature of GIS: the possibility to generate |
| the smaller and for the larger gas pipeline operators. | | | | two- and three-dimensional descriptions of land and |
| Risk management becomes an acute issue when it | | | | atmosphere items. Of course, this two- and |
| comes to operators dealing with thousands of miles | | | | three-dimensional description is possible after having |
| of pipeline. In other words, a gas pipeline map may | | | | sampled the corresponding areas (i.e. the pipeline |
| be identified as a tool fit for providing the equilibrium | | | | areas of interest). Due to this alternative of |
| needed by the terms of a lucrative business, of | | | | representation, the investigations made are obviously |
| secure facility operations, of increasing customer | | | | more profound, more complex, which will bear a |
| requirements, and of safe environmental | | | | significant impact on the final solutions to potential |
| management. | | | | problems. |
| All of the data necessary for the accurate | | | | In the end, with the help of GIS, the data on gas |
| assessment of each gas pipeline map coordinate are | | | | pipeline maps can be better integrated and more |
| gathered in geodatabases which will later on be | | | | lucratively captured/processed. This means that the |
| employed in the designing - as clear-cut and specific | | | | objects on the map are positively identified, land |
| as possible - of the complex gas pipeline maps. We | | | | boundaries are geographically defined (this means |
| think that it is only commonsensical that a large | | | | that your map system will "know" to render a |
| pipeline operator such as NGPL should expect | | | | distinction between highlands and river shores |
| specificity from the series of gas pipeline maps the | | | | development) and the relationships between map |
| staff there uses in order to render sure the proper | | | | items are spatially circumscribed. Owing to all these |
| functioning of an operation including entire networks | | | | features, risk management is augmented and pipeline |
| of pipelines over a distance of almost 10,000 miles. | | | | safety is improved. |
| Subsequently, since specificity is the number one | | | | |