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| | Equilon Pipeline (formerly Shell) - Project Information | Project Status: Demo Project In Process
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- What's New -
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OPS Amends Equilon's Order: |
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September 2000
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Operation of the Cortez Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Pipeline System will be formally transferred from Equilon to another pipeline operator in January 2001. As a result of this, OPS notified Equilon that it is amending its original Order and Equilon is no longer authorized to include a 260-mile portion of the Cortez carbon dioxide pipeline system in its risk management demonstration project. Equilon is still implementing risk management activities on its Texas-Louisiana ethylene pipeline system segment, which remains in the demonstration project. OPS plans to continue discussions with Equilon on the features of its risk management program that will be useful in helping OPS implement the new Integrity Management initiatives.
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Equilon Submits Revised Work Plan: |
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September 24, 1999
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Equilon has updated its Risk Management Demonstration Project Work Plan. This plan reflects the company's recent initiatives to institutionalize risk management across Equilon and accelerate the performance of comprehensive risk assessments for its pipeline systems. Equilon believes risk management is an important element in providing enhanced safety and environmental protection near its pipeline facilities, and believes participation in the OPS Demonstration Project has fostered development of a more formal and effective risk management approach.Equilon also reported that low crude oil prices have resulted in reduced demand for carbon dioxide. (Carbon dioxide is injected into oil wells to enhance the oil recovery.) As a result, there are no immediate plans to increase the Cortez operating system pressure as permitted by the Risk Management Order. Nevertheless, the company has implemented many of the risk control activities required by the Order, and is moving forward with implementation of the Community Response Guideline Tool and the rapid emergency notification system in early 2000. These risk control activities go beyond the Federal pipeline safety regulations to provide improved protection for the communities adjacent to the Cortez Carbon Dioxide and Texas - Louisiana Ethylene System pipeline segments in the OPS Demonstration Program. (Equilon is required to operate in compliance with all applicable pipeline safety regulations in these demonstration project segments.)
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Equilon Best Practices: |
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September 2, 1999
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The Equilon Risk Management Program is producing new and innovative approaches to provide superior protection to the people, environment, and property near its pipeline facilities. They are implementing several new risk control activities aimed at preventing outside force damage and enhancing emergency response capabilities. These new risk control activities, or Best Practices, exceed the current regulations and have been implemented more broadly within the company than Equilon originally proposed for its risk management demonstration project. A synopsis of some key Best Practices is provided below.
- Equilon is developing an Emergency Response Guidelines tool for employees, emergency responders, and the public. This tool (developed with Quest Consultants, of Tulsa, OK) provides, in an easy-to-understand format, the necessary safeguards and protective actions to be taken in the event of a release. The tool uses the results of Equilon's latest dispersion analyses performed as part of the risk management program to identify the appropriate protective action based on the type of leak, meteorological conditions, and distance from the pipeline. Equilon will initially distribute and test the Community Response Guidelines tool on the northern portion of the Cortez Carbon Dioxide System. Development is also in progress for the Texas - Louisiana System.
- To reduce outside force damage risks, Equilon has developed an innovative warning mesh to place "in-trench" following pipeline construction or rehabilitation activities on the Cortez and Texas-Louisiana systems. The bright orange, four foot wide design features a 12 inch, solid yellow banner in the middle with a warning message. This mesh is a significant improvement over currently available warning tape, used by some underground utilities. Equilon is also using the mesh at sites where soil erosion has historically been a problem to provide advance warning of washout conditions. This mesh is also being installed on other Equilon pipeline systems outside of the Risk Management Demonstration Project.
- Equilon has developed a new pipeline marker design that will be used throughout the company. The newly designed line markers, prominently featuring the international "No Dig" symbol, were the direct result of Equilon's risk management program and have now been adopted Equilon-wide. The company is using these now on all new construction and maintenance projects, and expects to have all of its old markers replaced within 5 years.
Equilon shared its new line markers, warning mesh, and the Quest Community Response Guidelines tool during its presentation at the API meeting in April 1999. Additional information on any of these best practices can be obtained from Jim Roberts at Equilon.
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OPS Conducts First Risk Management Audit: |
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August 31 - September 3, 1998
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The first OPS Audit for the Equilon Risk Management Demonstration Project was conducted at the Cortez Station, near Cortez, Colorado. This audit is the first of two OPS Audits planned to review and evaluate the effectiveness of the Equilon risk control activities that must be completed and approved by OPS prior to increasing the Cortez Station pressure as allowed in the Risk Management Order.
The OPS Audit Team reviewed the status of each Cortez risk control activity in the Work Plan. The Team concluded that a number of activities had been satisfactorily completed, and that good progress was being made in a number of other areas. The Team was favorably impressed by the knowledge, experience, and professionalism of the Cortez Station staff, and their commitment to safe operation and the Risk Management Program. A follow-up audit later this year to review and close out the remaining Work Plan items necessary to precede pressure increase will be conducted. An audit report will be posted on PRIMIS at that time.
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Shell Transition to Equilon: |
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July 1, 1998
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Shell Oil Company and Texaco Inc. have entered into an agreement which combines their downstream oil products businesses, including refining, marketing, transportation, and distribution assets. That agreement resulted in the formation of Equilon Enterprises LLC on January 15, 1998. Included in the transaction were all of the crude oil and product pipeline assets of both Shell and Texaco. Equilon Pipeline is a limited liability company, owned by Equilon Enterprises, which was formed to own the venture's regulated pipelines. Under this new structure, Equilon Pipeline remains responsible for operating the two pipeline systems involved in the Risk Management Demonstration Project (i.e, the Cortez Carbon Dioxide System and the Texas - Louisiana Ethylene System).
As required by the OPS Risk Management Order that specifies the terms and conditions of the demonstration project, Shell kept OPS informed of the status of events leading up to the formation of Equilon. This includes the identification of key personnel assigned to the risk management demonstration project, and the role of risk management in the new organization.
The formal transition from Shell Pipe Line to Equilon Pipeline was finalized in July, 1998. As a result, the company will now be referred to as Equilon (instead of Shell) on PRIMIS. Project status report items (such as most of those below), and documents produced prior to the Equilon transition will still refer to Shell.
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Shell Demonstration Project Approved: |
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March 24, 1998
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U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater announced in a March 24th press release that Shell Pipeline Corporation will participate in the OPS Risk Management Demonstration Program. On March 18, Richard Felder, the Associate Administrator for the Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS), signed the Order authorizing Shell Pipe Line Corporation to initiate their risk management demonstration project. The Shell project is the first to be approved in the OPS Risk Management Demonstration Program.
The demonstration project involves portions of two Shell pipeline systems:
- Texas - Louisiana Ethylene System - 205 miles from the Mont Belvieu, Texas compressor station to the western edge of the Atchafalaya Basin east of New Iberia, Louisiana.
- Cortez Carbon Dioxide System - 260 miles from the pump station near Cortez, Colorado to Edgewood, New Mexico (east of Albuquerque).
Information on the project can be found by clicking on the Project Description button at the bottom of this page.
Additional information is also available in the formal risk management demonstration project application submitted by Shell to OPS.
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Prospectus Available: |
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January 26, 1998
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A Prospectus describing the Shell demonstration project has been prepared and has been mailed to individuals on the OPS Risk Management Distribution list. Individuals who are not on this list and would like to receive a copy of this Prospectus can request a copy by E-Mail using the Feedback button below. In your message, state that you would like to receive a copy of the Shell Prospectus and include your name and mailing address.
The Prospectus can also be downloaded from PRIMIS and read using Adobe Acrobat.
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New/Key Documents
| Lead Contacts
| Other Project Data
| Project Status: |
Demo Project In Process |
| Company Address: |
Two Shell Plaza, P.O. Box 2648, Houston, TX 77252- |
| Company Web Site: |
http://www.equilon.com/ |
| States Affected: |
Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas |
| OPS Regions: |
Southwest, Western |
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