Center for Reliable Energy Systems

Expertise

Energy exploration, production, and delivery require highly technical and complex environments and equipment.  The staff at CRES has an unparalleled understanding of how these systems operate.  Whatever field of expertise you require, rest assured that CRES has the experience and the successful background to effectively address the issue.  Our comprehensive knowledge of the industry has given us a platform to positively influence the energy industry.

To learn more about the depth of expertise we offer, check out our disciplines listed to the left.

Here is a one page summary of CRES capabilities:

  1. Integrity management/assessment of girth welds of modern and vintage pipelines under high longitudinal/axial strain conditions (caused by construction, settlement, and/or geohazards).
    • System-wide screening and risk ranking
    • Most of the applications are related to geohazards.  The assessment would involve (1) determination of strain demand, (2) determination of strain capacity, and (3) mitigation decisions.
    • Tensile strain capacity (TSC)
      • Specially-designed tests to support the development of tensile strain capacity
      • Collection and analysis of NDT records
      • Software tools (Gwise-TM)
      • Segment- or weld-specific TSC determination
      • Incorporation of interacting threats (e.g., metal loss, C-SCC)
    • Support for probabilistic analysis
      • Recommendations for distributions for input parameters
      • Evaluation of model bias
  2. Integrity-centric geohazards management plan
    • The plan can be at a high level or an all-inclusive process with detailed procedures and processes.
    • In contrast to traditional geohazards management program, our focus is on pipeline integrity as demonstrated by safety margin.  Decisions are made on the basis of safety margin.  Loading from geohazards is a key input, but we bring in strain capacity and mitigation options into the process.
  3. Improved (i.e., much more accurate) assessment of axially-oriented SCC
    • CRES has tools/software that take inputs from different NDT methods, apply fracture mechanics models of a user’s choice, and determine burst pressure.
    • CRES conducts full-scale burst pressure to support the assessment and provide validations of new methodology.
    • CRES performs metallurgical analysis of SCC samples from fields or as a part of SCC characterization before and after tests.
  4. Sentencing criteria (safe vs. mitigation) of pipe body C-SCC and girth weld flaws in ILI crack management programs
    • CRES provides customized software for integration into customer’s internal processes.
    • Our strain-based criteria are more accurate and user-friendly than criteria derived from stress-based FFS assessment procedures.
  5. Construction of strain-resistant pipelines, including pipe replacement projects
    • Supplemental linepipe specifications
    • Selection of girth welding processes including consumables
    • Qualification tests of girth welds, including code-required tests and supplemental specially-designed tests
  6. Risk assessment of existing pipelines for potential low-strain failure
    • System-wide screening and risk ranking
    • Site/weld-specific assessment
    • Mitigation options
  7. Benefits of hydrostatic tests and potential for pressure reversal
    • Room temperature creep tests for material characterization
    • Evaluation of the potential for pressure reversal