Effective pipeline inspection key to environmental substance in Nigeria — Expert

An expert in the energy sector, Ekpenyong Okon, has reaffirmed that effective monitoring of pipeline infrastructure in the oil sector is paramount in the preservation of the environment in some parts of Nigeria

Okon noted that irregular inspection of pipelines risks environmental pollution and degradation.

Speaking to the media, the energy expert said “an operator must have a means to detect leaks and evaluate its capability to protect high-consequence areas.

“Factors to consider include pipeline length, product type, proximity to the area, leak detection swiftness, response to personnel location, leak history, and risk assessment results”.

He explained that pipelines are delicate infrastructure that enables transportation of gas, crude oil and other petrochemical products.

“When this infrastructure breakdown, it is the environment in the affected areas that bears the cost with far reaching environmental and economic consequences.

“An operator must take measures to prevent and mitigate the consequences of a pipeline failure that could affect a high-consequence area.

“These measures include conducting a risk analysis of the pipeline segment to identify additional actions to enhance public safety or environmental protection

“Such actions may include implementing damage prevention best practices, better monitoring of cathodic protection, establishing shorter inspection intervals, installing Emergency Flow Restricting Devices (EFRDs), modifying leak detection systems, providing additional training, and conducting drills with emergency responders”.

He therefore recommended regular inspection using the Risk-Based Inspection of Asset Integrity.

“Risk Based Inspection (RBI) is a systematic and quantitative process that helps asset integrity managers prioritize inspection and maintenance activities based on the risk of failure.

“The first step is to identify the assets that need to be inspected and their functions. Risk assessment evaluates the probability of failure for each asset, considering factors like age, condition, history, and consequences of failure in terms of safety, environmental impact, and business impact” Okon stated.

It is reported that an average of 240,000 barrels of crude oil spill do occur in the Niger delta region of Nigeria every year.

These spills are caused by mechanical failure and other factors contaminating the surface water, ground water and ambient air.

Further effects of oil spill include known carcinogens like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and benxo (a) pyrene, naturally occurring radioactive materials, with trace metals bio accumulating in some food crops.

The oil spill causes ascorbic acid content in vegetables, crude protein content in cassava with consequences like increase in the prevalence of childhood malnutrition and other diseases.

Okon therefore said it is important to prevent spills or at least curtail them timely to avert the devastating impact on the environment.

Ekpenyong Okon has undertaken notable Engineering Projects with Exxon Mobil Nigeria Unlimited Corrosion Condition Monitoring (CCM) Project QIT-Ibeno, Chevron Nigeria Limited Corrosion Control Campaign Project Escravos amongst others.

Okon is a member of Society Of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), and also an American Petroleum Institute Certified Risk Based Inspection specialist.