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Aerial Imagery Supporting Pipeline Regulatory Compliance – Midstream

A Fort Worth-based pipeline owner and operator tasked Prius Intelli with a strategic ~250-square-mile fixed-wing flyover. The goal? Securing up-to-date high-resolution imagery to help streamline its PHMSA compliance efforts. As one of the largest privately-owned midstream companies in the Permian Basin, the client moves, compresses, and processes massive amounts of natural gas on behalf of producers across the region. As part of its extensive operations, the company maintains hundreds of miles of pipe across six sprawling West Texas counties. Conducting annual class location studies of these high-pressure pipelines is core to meeting the company’s regulatory responsibilities.

Historically, the client has completed class location studies by dispatching crews to count structures and monitor signs of development.

Now, 10 cm aerial imagery allows the client to:

• Review pipeline locations in detail from HQ to identify new structures and other potential encroachments.
  
• Flag areas of concern so that crews can be strategically deployed to verify.

“Aerial imagery has proven highly cost-effective in keeping an eye on our pipe. We can zoom in pretty darn tight to identify potential structure issues. This helps us flag specific areas we think will be added to class location studies. It helps us work smarter with the crews we have.

Our ground guys know where most of our DOT-sensitive areas are. Their input helps further pinpoint where we need future flyovers, leading to even more cost-savings for the company.”
– Director of GIS & Drafting, Fort Worth-based Midstream Company