GIS Added to SHRIMP Integrity Management Plan

DIMP regulations, put forth by the US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, require each US gas utility to report on its risk-based approach to pipeline management.

Bill Meehan, Esri director of utility solutions said that by linking SHRIMP to Esri's GIS, gas utilities can use two solutions together. GIS technology enables gas distribution companies to connect integrity management data with geographic location to reduce risk, improve safety, and help satisfy DIMP requirements.

GIS will enable utilities to section a gas distribution system based on geography and other criteria defined by the operator. Additionally, GIS will provide information such as leak repair history and equipment condition for each section, thereby reducing data input requirements.

Accordign to Vernon Mallu, the TTI SHRIMP project manager, the SHRIMP-GIS interface will facilitate the input of data required by SHRIMP. Operators then will still be required to review and complete threat assessments. However, many of the tedious tasks like collecting and reviewing repair records and tickets and entering this information will be eliminated or reduced by using the data available in the GIS.