The Australian Pipeline Industry Association has been granted the funds for a collaborative research project with Adelaide University and several other major Australian research institutions, including Monash University, Curtin University, CSIRO and ANSTO.

Matched dollar-for-dollar by the private sector, the three-year research project represents an investment of more than $1.4 million in enhancing the future performance of Australia’s pipeline system.

The research will encompass improvements to steel quality for manufacture of pipelines; pipeline construction techniques and quality control; coatings and other treatments to prevent corrosion and leaks; and resistance to damage caused by excavators and earthmoving equipment.

Specific areas of study include:

stress corrosion cracking growth rates and subsequent assessment and development of the appropriate methods for the repair of pipelines affected by stress corrosion cracking;

the effect of stray currents from electric traction systems and other sources on corrosion rates of high-pressure pipelines;

the deposition of elemental sulphur during the pressure reduction phase in high-pressure natural gas pipelines;

deterioration rates of various pipeline coatings on older pipelines in various environments and how this affects corrosion protection and cathodic protection current requirements over time;

onsite testing and analysis of the integrity of coatings on pipelines installed by horizontal directional drilling;

the level and influence of boron in weld deposits produced using commercial welding electrodes used in constructing high-pressure pipelines; and

appropriate test voltages for inspecting new and partially weathered fusion-bond epoxy pipeline coatings.

“The knowledge and skills gained from this research program will not only benefit Australia but also the rest of the world,” APIA chief executive Cheryl Cartwright said in Adelaide today.

“We expect the program will eventually lead to Australian pipeline transmission know-how being exported to many other countries, paving the way for the delivery of natural gas and petroleum in the most reliable and efficient manner possible.

“In relation to natural gas, success in enhancing pipeline performance will help reduce transmission costs and further increase the appeal of this environmentally friendly fuel.”