Pipeline & Facility Design

Many of our engineering and surveying professionals have a minimum of 30 years of experience in all phases of oil, petrochemical and natural gas pipeline projects. From new pipeline installations to facility operational improvements, our engineers have experience designing virtually every type of pipeline project. We handle all design services from initial planning to final design and provide construction oversight and as-built services. Our team strives to create pipeline design that delivers energy in the most efficient – and safest – way.

Many times, the design phase of a pipeline project can take as long – or longer – than the actual construction phase. The route must be selected, easement negotiated, environmental permitting completed and many other pre-construction actions need to be accomplished.

To begin, our Op Qual Certified surveyors go out to the proposed route and gather information for our designers. Our Pipeline Group then uses computer models to analyze the information gathered and to ensure route site feasibility and comply with all rules associated with each project. We utilize various technology during the planning & design process, such as: high resolutionphotos, mobile lidar, 3D laser scanning & GIS mapping to determine the route and design.

In addition to our Pipeline Group, our Environmental Group also gets involved. They offer a full range of services from planning and permitting through construction and restoration. They examine all environmental factors that play a role in determining a pipeline’s final design, such as: waterways, wildlife, nearby communities, seasonal variations & historical sites.

Our experienced pipeline engineers then take all the data collected to determine the best route for the pipeline that meets the client’s needs and regulatory requirements in the most efficient manner possible. Once the pipeline design is complete, we can also offer construction oversight and as-built services. We understand how critical deadlines are, especially when interruptions in service translate into lost revenue. We’re there the assist you throughout your entire pipeline project.

Pipeline Design Services Offered

  • Pipeline Integrity and Cathodic Protection – Our team assists from planning to implementation.
  • Pipeline Looping – Laying one pipeline parallel to another as a way to increase capacity, expand an existing pipeline, extend the distance between compressor stations or to serve as a storage device.
  • Pipeline Relocation & Lowering – Modify existing horizontal or vertical alignment to avoid natural or artificial obstacles that impact the integrity of the pipeline.
  • Pipeline & Laterals – Route selection for proposed pipelines and laterals with full design services consisting of material selection, weld calculations, stress analysis, regulatory compliance, and material catalogs.
  • Horizontal Directional Drill (HDD) Design – Determine the optimum drill path to meet owner requirements, attain appropriate soil information for HDD, offer survey services, perform stress analysis, construction oversight & as-built services.
  • Main Line Piping Facilities
    • Main Line Valves – Determine where a valve is positioned along the pipeline system, so when closed down it will isolate a line section during emergencies. Minimize hazards and damage or pollution from an accidental release of oil or natural gas.
    • Launching and Receiving Traps – Design the pipeline component used to launch or receive inline inspection tools and cleaning pigs.
  • Facility Design
    • Gas Processing & Measurement – Determine the equipment to provide pipeline quality gas before the gas measurement.  Design the gas measurement facilities to accommodate the various anticipated gas flow ranges.
    • Flow Control – Determine the size and kind of control valve for each specific application.
    • Regulation – Design pressure reduction to not overpressure connecting pipelines.
    • Indirect Heaters – Determine the size of gas heater to heat the gas after regulation and before measurement to meet minimum gas temperature requirements for quality gas measurement.
    • Separators – Design the proper size and type of gas separator to remove contaminates and liquids prior to gas measurement.
  • Storage Facilities – Ability to design various sizes and types based on the product being stored and the location and the need within the pipeline system. Make sure that natural gas can be readily available for delivery to customers on demand.
  • Operational Improvements – Design modifications to existing facilities such as remote control mainline valves and upgrading measurement stations.
  • Distribution Infrastructure – Analysis and design of natural gas distribution systems for both new existing systems.
  • SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System) – Design to gather information (i.e. pipeline pressure & flow rates), also issue commands to remote sizes for action like opening and closing valves, and starting and stopping pumps.
  • Class Changes – Replacement of pipeline segments with heavier wall thickness pipe due to population density changes.