Deepak Gupta0:07
Respected NGS Atura, my dear colleagues, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it's indeed an honor and privilege to be speaking in such a forum. I think there cannot be a more apt forum to discuss operation and maintenance. The country is witnessing growth in almost all sectors, and the national gas grid is advancing towards completion. With almost 22,000 kilometers of pipeline existing, and targeting about 34,000 kilometers in the coming years, we can see the huge inroads gas infrastructure is making. Before I come to the main topic, I would like to compliment PNGRB for path-breaking initiatives and regulations. Your team is a facilitator, taking the gas economy to where it should be by 2030. I also compliment the Natural Gas Society for organizing such programs where we can share ideas.
Aging infrastructure of our gas pipelines is a big issue. We need to address how to take care of pipelines older than 25 or 30 years, whether through replacement, coating replacement, or other measures. My request is to discuss this major issue in the next two days.
Another important aspect is third-party damages. Our pipelines run through remote and populated areas, and we need to discuss how to prevent such damages using pipeline inclusion detection systems, drone monitoring, line patrolling, or internal mechanisms. Prevention is better than cure.
Regarding the CGD network, I also happen to be the chairperson of Green Gas Limited in Lucknow. Billing is a big issue, as are damages to the MDP pipelines. With networks being laid across lakhs of inch-kilometers, we must protect the MDP network to prevent gas loss, which directly affects revenues and profitability.
Corrosion is the biggest problem in operation and maintenance. Let us deliberate on best methods to prevent it, starting from gas quality, corrosion allowance, pipeline design, anode or cathode bed design, and remote monitoring techniques. Corrosion alone causes losses in hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide.
Regulatory compliance is crucial. While we discuss having a single audit, we must be prepared to meet compliance requirements. Systems should capture audit points and ensure they do not reoccur. If we proactively address repeated audit points, many operational and maintenance aspects will be taken care of.
Nobody wants to lay another pipeline for hydrogen. We need to understand how to repurpose existing pipelines by changing metallurgy, design, compressors, and valves. It is time to revise data sheets for various entities to make them suitable for hydrogen, as our colleagues in Italy have already started.
One important point is to focus on design first. If we become part of the design process and give observations early, many operation and maintenance challenges can be handled upfront. For example, a good layout of an SV station or proper instrumentation in P&IDs can make a big difference.
I encourage everyone to be interactive, share ideas, and create a feedback portal. Newer techniques and technology are essential. We need to discuss HDD versus micro tunneling, integrity management, pigging methods, and avoiding incidents. Ultimately, the quality of operation depends on minimal manual intervention. I wish this conference all success, and I thank PNGRB and the Society for their wonderful work.
