Pipe Network Modeling for the Modern World

Gas utilities and pipelines operating today in this energy transition era need to answer more questions than ever from stakeholders about their pipe networks and how they operate. That makes pipe network modeling and GIS data management increasingly important.

Why? Many pipe networks from the wellhead to the customer meter are geographically widespread, topologically complex, and buried underground. This situation makes application software operating on a digital model of the actual pipe network essential to answering many important questions. Operators need answers to perform the many tasks and workflows in various functional areas and roles.

Questions generally fall into one of two types. Answering two different types of questions requires two unique models. For that reason, analysts build models in one of two ways – depending on whether the objective they examined is around “where is it located” or “how is it connected.” Linear referencing is the model-building method for the first, and connectivity modeling for the second.

While both methods create a network model, they do it differently. Linear referencing builds a model by expressing pipeline attributes and event locations in terms of measurements along a pipeline from a defined starting point. On the other hand, connectivity builds a model by specifying how individual components such as pipes, valves, and many others join to form one interconnected whole. Each method traditionally has required its own network data definition. As a result, gas utilities and pipelines ended up with multiples of everything related to that and all the associated inefficiencies and challenges.

 

Breaking through to modern network management

Today’s breakthrough that enables gas utilities and pipelines to modernize their pipe network modeling is the capability in an enterprise-level GIS to perform both methods of network model building on the same pipe network data definition. This breakthrough is a game-changer!

 

Enterprise GIS

Let’s first unpack what I mean by enterprise-level GIS. In a nutshell, an enterprise-level GIS can provide the maps with data and insights in geographic context to support all workflows in all functional areas and roles – on any device, anywhere, anytime.

Achieving that capability requires an enterprise GIS to be well architected using the latest technology so it is business agile. An enterprise GIS needs to evolve just like the gas utilities and pipelines it serves evolve. Three abilities characterize business agility: the ability to adapt (meaning a readiness to change to suit new or modified purposes or conditions), the ability to do so nimbly (meaning both to be quick in action and astute in devising or understanding), and the ability to do so cost-effectively.

 

Evolving a single pipe network definition for both methods

That leads us to the need for one pipe network definition – a mirror representation of the actual pipe network - capable of supporting both network-building methods.

Traditionally, a separate set of data enabled each model-building method. At times, this was because users in the office, the field, and the web used disparate systems to access information. Each of these systems developed its data management method for defining location. Another reason is that each link in the industry value was often managed independently, for instance, in a transmission or distribution GIS. For this reason, multiple GIS instances, data models, and data repositories impede gas utilities and pipelines operating an integrated pipe network.

Those days are gone for gas utilities and pipelines with a modernized GIS, and far better days are here. Creating and maintaining a singular representation of the entire pipe network that mirrors the in-ground network is possible now. Users can work with that singular representation as they would the actual one.

 

Data models

The single representation of the pipe system requires a unique data organization approach to store the entire pipe system—from wellhead to meter or terminal or delivery point—and support the information model requirements of linear referencing and connectivity modeling. Esri’s Utility and Pipeline Data Model and the PODS Association PODS 7.0.2 and later data models provide this needed data organization.

 

Wrap Up

For decades, pipe organizations have had to either implement multiple models stored in separate data repositories or settle for one data management method. Now, they do not. Pipe organizations can now have a single digital representation of the physical pipe system that supports both. This situation reduces IT administration and support costs by allowing consolidation of server systems and database licenses. Data editors benefit from a single editing experience regardless of where the edit occurs across the vertically integrated pipe system. For end users, there is one source of the truth. Using the pipe system data is simpler because there is only one representation of the pipe system to work from.

The ability to modernize your pipe network modeling for the modern world is here now. If you haven’t already, start your journey to it today!

Learn more about Esri’s GIS vision for gas utilities and energy pipelines today.