The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) held a hearing this month on its efforts to develop a system to locate and map pipelines in urban areas. Working with a research contractor, OPS co-funded a project to create this detection system, which aims to reduce third-party damage to utility pipelines. Damage to pipelines caused by excavators and construction contractors continues to be a top cause of the nation’s oil pipeline incidents.

The system will use non-invasive radar and electric signal technology to measure the location and depths of pipelines.  Results of the initial research and development for the system were presented to OPS on Jan. 12, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, at OPS headquarters.