Abstract

Historical Tracking for the Nation's Pipeline Network
Track: Pipeline and Gas Utilities
Authors: Amy Nelson

The US DOT PHMSA is creating a GIS application which will integrate tabular data with a historical tracking-enabled pipeline dataset. When complete, users will query tabular data and return a map. Queries may have a start and stop date and the user will be able to view changes in the nation's pipeline network over time. One of the primary challenges faced by PHMSA is change detection. Operators buy and sell assets, build new pipelines, and pipelines come in and out of reporting jurisdiction. Operators also re-GPS lines, abandon, and replace pipelines. To create an accurate history, PHMSA built custom tools to compare operators' past and current data submissions, matching segments to the operator's previous submission or to another operator's past data.