Project Overview

• The University of Illinois owns and operates approximately 22 miles of natural gas transmission pipeline bringing the fuel to the Abbot Power Plant and to portions of campus from a connection with Kinder Morgan NGPL near Monticello, IL.  Pipeline safety regulations required the University to install new equipment on the pipeline to allow it to be internally inspected and to minimize emissions as a result of a line break by installing an automated shutoff valve (ASV).  This meant approximately 20 miles of the pipeline would need to have the natural gas removed so the work could be done safety.  Past industry practice was to blow the pipeline down to atmosphere so the work could be completed.  Methane has been identified as a significant contributor to the greenhouse gas effect.  In fact, Methane is considered far more harmful than Carbon Dioxide.  To avoid this release the University looked to its Retained Engineers at USDI to provide a solution.  USDI was able to move most of the gas through the UIUC system.  By utilizing as much of the linepack as possible to continue to operate the system we were able to reduce pressure in the pipeline to approximately 56 psig before switching to an alternate source of supply.  USDI then utilized compression equipment it owns supplied by Onboard Dynamics to compress the remaining gas from the segment of pipeline needing maintenance to a downstream segment isolated by block valves.  Approximately 110 MCF of natural gas was compressed and kept in the pipeline.  This is the equivalent of 58.7 metric tons of CO2 or emissions from 150,070 miles driven by an average gasoline powered passenger vehicle.  The compression equipment utilizes natural gas from the pipeline to power the compression further minimizing CO2 emissions.
• USDI applauds the University of Illinois for making an investment in our environment by operating its pipeline facilities in a responsible manner. If you want to discuss options to minimize methane emissions associated with pipeline maintenance, repair, or abandonment, please contact any engineers at USDI or Darin L. Houchin, P.E. ([email protected]).