Safety and environmental performance is KPL’s first priority. Ensuring the mechanical integrity of our pipelines helps us to successfully meet our goal of protecting employees, customers, contractors, and the public and environment. The KPL Pipeline Integrity Management Program defines how we work to achieve this goal and comply with applicable laws and regulations.

The KPL Pipeline Integrity Management Program assists us in preventing leaks and spills, determining pipelines that could affect High Consequence Areas (HCAs), and identifying evaluation and improvement opportunities.

Leak Prevention Program

Our leak prevention program includes specific practices and procedures to continually assess and monitor, regularly test and inspect, and prevent corrosion and excavation damage on the pipelines we operate. KPL regularly tests and inspects the condition of the pipelines and the effectiveness of our day-to-day leak prevention activities, using timely data evaluation, investigation, and corrective action procedures. Employees and contractors who perform work must attend training and meet qualification requirements.

The following practices and procedures are among many that KPL has developed to ensure safe and reliable pipeline operations:

• Routine pipeline operations and maintenance.
• Excavation damage prevention education and communication.
• SCADA – KPL applies Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems for safe and efficient pipeline operation. The pipeline control center in Wichita, Kansas electronically monitors our pipelines. Information is communicated between the Control Center and remote monitoring sites 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using satellite technology.
• ROW patrols and surveys – Right-Of-Way conditions are evaluated by routine aerial and walking patrols. Surveys are conducted to evaluate changing conditions on the pipeline right-of-way, and to consider waterways, erosion and soil subsidence, and unauthorized excavation or construction activity.
• External corrosion prevention – Prior to pipeline burial, an external coating is applied to the outer pipe surface to prevent corrosion. This coating, combined with the application of cathodic protection, minimizes the potential for corrosion. Cathodic protection is an electrical process whereby metal rods connected to a surface power source attract corrosion instead of the pipe.
• Internal corrosion prevention – In KPL pipelines that transport products containing water, which can cause corrosion inside the pipe, we inject a corrosion inhibitor chemical into the pipelines and perform internal cleaning to prevent corrosion.
• Integrity testing – KPL regularly performs in-line inspections and pressure testing of its pipelines to evaluate their condition and effectiveness of leak prevention activities. High resolution in-line inspection equipment, capable of detecting corrosion and dents, is used to inspect our pipelines. Inspection data is evaluated and an investigation performed if necessary. To confirm safe operation at normal pressures, KPL performs pressure testing at pressures exceeding normal operating pressures.

Spill Mitigation Program

Through our spill mitigation program we endeavor to educate and communicate. This is accomplished by way of public awareness activities, carefully monitored leak detection systems, emergency response plans, and response drills with emergency officials.

High Consequence Areas Consideration

High Consequence Areas (HCAs) are defined in federal regulations as populated areas, commercially navigable waterways, and areas that are unusually sensitive to environmental damage. KPL has identified pipeline sections that could affect an HCA, and has made special considerations in these areas when developing and implementing leak prevention and spill mitigation programs.

Program Evaluation and Improvement

At KPL we regularly evaluate and audit the implementation of our practices and procedures to ensure consistent application and identify improvement opportunities. KPL enlists its own auditors and subject matter experts, along with independent auditors and state and federal auditors, to perform evaluations and audits.

KPL constantly seeks new products and techniques that enhance the safety and reliability of the pipelines it operates. One such effort was KPL’s inventive pipeline monitoring and control system, which earned recognition from the ComputerWorld Smithsonian Awards program in 1999 as one of the nation’s 50 top innovative technology initiatives.