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The Federation of Alberta Gas Co-ops is an organization representing Alberta’s co-operative, municipal & First Nations natural gas utilities. Every member of the Federation is owned or governed by their communities. This plenary will discuss the history, unique make-up of its membership, day-to-day operations & the goals & objectives of the Co-op & its members.

With the rapid growth in the profile of hydrogen as a potential energy source, this panel will discuss current activities, potential future directions & what policies or roadmaps will be required to fully optimize this readily available, zero emissions fuel source.

In 2019, Manitoba Hydro performed an in-line inspection of 9km of natural gas pipeline using Pipetel’s Explorer robot. In this session Manitoba Hydro will share how this unpiggable in-line inspection approach compares to traditional in-line inspection in regards to pipeline preparation, project timeline, execution and tool validation. Additionally, the presentation will speak to specific challenges that were avoided due to using this method of in-line inspection.

Enhancements to Énergir’s mobile leak detection surveys: When Énergir chose the Gazomat/ECOTEC technology for its mobile leak detection activities 5 years ago, it envisioned the solution would eventually enable an entirely paperless process. Since then, the system hardware has been updated, additional vehicles were added to the fleet, and the development of a paperless environment is on the verge of being deployed. The presentation will start with a report of the updates made to the system mounted in the vehicles. A description of the development stages of the new environment and how Énergir leveraged ESRI (ArcGIS) applications and the ever changing mobile device industry to achieve its goal will follow. The numerous benefits to the field personnel, administrative support staff and the quality of the surveys will also be explained.

This session will cover ATCO’s approach to managing and ensuring the integrity of watercourse crossings including: identification of hazardous areas, assessment, monitoring strategies, and analyses of vortex-induced vibration.

In 2016 AltaGas Utilities initiated a Material Tracking and Traceability project. 2019 was the first year AltaGas Utilities used ASTM F2807 compliant hardware and an enterprise GIS system in the field. This presentation will review: the steps involved in execution of this project, the challenges of deploying this project in the field, realized benefits, and future plans for ASTM F2897 complaint Material Tracking and Traceability at AltaGas Utilities.

Énergir is changing its locate process as a result of the increase in the number of demands in a context of shortage of labour and increased importance given to damage prevention and health and safety. This session will cover what the steps and challenges are to face this new reality.

Awareness for the industry and fuel distributors in high density urban environments where vertical multifamily residential buildings are being constructed and natural gas is its primary energy source. This presentation will provide a look into Enbridge Gas Inc’s reaction to industry pressure for natural gas private gas piping and sub metering while addressing its evolving gas policy with the amalgamation of Legacy companies Union Gas and Enbridge Gas Distribution. Including a code review as it applies to the topic.

Machine learning provides powerful techniques for developing predictive models to assist operators of distribution systems in prioritizing mitigation actions such as service upgrades and inspection programs.These models can complement 'lagging indicators' such as historical failures with 'leading indicators' that point to areas that would benefit from proactive programs before problems arise. However, it is important to scrutinize and verify the validity of the model predictions and ensure that the relationships implied by the model reflects reality. When using machine learning in engineering applications, it is important to ensure models are interpretable and consistent with expert judgement and experience. In this presentation we will describe a recent project to develop a model for predicting leaks in distribution services that was developed in collaboration with SaskEnergy. The methodology we will describe ensures the models retain high interpretability and provide valid predictions that reflect reality.

FortisBC, in partnership with Selkirk College, is developing a VR modelling program.  An electrical sub-station is being built within this program and allows an Engineering planner or Project Manager to walk through a design fully placed out in scale before construction and modify any component.  Although developed for an electrical asset, this technology has similar capabilities for our gas assets.

CSA Z260 Pipeline system safety metrics was published in first edition in mid-2019. Work is underway for the next edition which will bring distribution systems into the scope of the standard.

In September of 2018, a tragic incident in Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts on a low pressure distribution system that caused ripples throughout the natural gas delivery industry. One year later in 2019, the NTSB delivered its assessment of the incident along with recommendations. Several new regulations and pending legislation is being considered and PHMSA will be considering these regulations along with the 2019 Pipeline Reauthorization act. Many operators are not waiting for new regulations but are taking a more proactive approach. Many are implementing new procedures and enhancements to current infrastructure to prevent this type of accident in the future. The discussion will center around what is the expected changes in the regulatory framework that will be implemented in the future because of this event.

This is a new generation of operations dispatching software which will be implemented throughout FortisBC in the Spring of 2020.  Developed by a Canadian company, this program integrates GIS mapping, real time workforce location, and job task efficiency, resulting in improved dispatching capabilities, route efficiency improvements, and decreased emergency response time. A live demonstration of the software will be included.

In light of producing a Green Footprint, Enbridge has started to accept RNG gas into the distribution stream. This session provides a practical approach to monitoring the gas quality.

Asset Management is what we all do, but do we do it effectively? Do you have an appropriate approach to ensure the asset risks are addressed at the right time at the both the individual project and total portfolio levels? Enbridge Gas Inc. will share its approach to Asset Management through its integrated management program and working across all functions to a common goal.

ATCO is currently looking at entering a partnership to offer the first recognized Hydrotest Certification in Canada. In addition to several specific safety requirements, CSA Z662 requires that, “The company shall ensure that pressure tests are conducted under the direction of competent personnel”. Front-line supervisor are responsible to assess worker competence (experience, training, and qualification to perform the required duties) for the hydrostatic testing of shop fabricated piping. It was difficult to find training that was specific to CSA Z662 hydrostatic testing requirements, so ATCO set out to find a partner to create a certification course for all personnel involved in the planning, execution and inspection of hydrostatic testing, ensuring that all involved would have the same baseline training.

Advanced Leak Detection: Using Mobile Technology and Analytics to Control Fugitive Methane Emissions. ATCO Gas Distribution is using leak detection software installed in company vehicles to reduce the number of manual leak surveys completed in urban areas.

In this case study, a major gas distribution company leverages AI-powered software to predict which of daily excavation tickets are at the highest risk of having damages including methane leaks; proactively intervening to prevent third party damages and reduce leaks. In this data-driven approach to damage prevention, AI identified damages caused by excavator error, locator error, and instances of no one-calls (cases in which there were no 811 tickets). Furthermore, the AI was able to identify opportunities to optimize the effectiveness of 811 outreach to areas susceptible to no-call ins.

Énergir conducted a review of frequency for some specific maintenance activities on its transmission lines (Vegetation control, Leak detection, Close interval survey (CIS), …). As CSA Z662-15 is not prescriptive in requirement of specific frequencies, Énergir performed these activities on a recurring three-year cycle, based on historical considerations. A risk based approach was developed to establish new frequencies using a 3-level analysis: index based Risk assessment with an implemented software, benchmarking with other gas pipeline utilities, and experience of SME.

Enbridge Gas Inc. is executing a project to relocate an existing NPS 30 natural gas pipeline crossing the Don River via a utility bridge. The new natural gas main will be installed beneath the Don River by means of microtunneling. This presentation will review: the challenges of permitting a complex engineering design in an environmentally sensitive area, the process to develop the microtunnel design in a highly constrained environment, collaboration efforts to benefit external stakeholders also located on the utility bridge, and the execution plans required to realize the benefits of installing a pipeline within a microtunnel.

The panel is to discuss the necessity of innovation in the Industry, and how growing environmental guidelines are impacting how we do business. Each panelist will have time to speak on the role innovation plays at their organization. They will then be given time to discuss a specific example, explaining the process from idea, through R&D and into implementation.