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CLEARING THE WAY FOR A CIPS SURVEY

CIPS Survey clearance

BPA’s lands team is undertaking a programme of scrub clearance works at more than 60 sites along the route of the buried high-pressure oil pipelines that BPA manages in the UK.

The scrub clearance is in preparation for a new CIPs survey which is scheduled to start in October and run until the end of November 2020.   The work will take place on the LAP pipeline that feeds Heathrow Airport, the buried pipeline that runs between the Thames Pump Station and the Epping Pump Station and also the buried high-pressure oil pipeline that runs between the Blisworth Pump Station and the Oil Storage Terminal at Kingsbury.

A CIPS survey is sometimes referred to as Close Interval Survey, which is an above ground, non-intrusive survey, used to accurately determine the effectiveness of the cathodic protection system along the pipelines.  The survey helps ensure that the integrity of the pipeline remains protected from corrosion.

The pipe-to-soil readings are measured at test points typically installed at 1 to 2 kilometre intervals along the pipeline route, however these measurements do not accurately reflect the pipe-to-soil potentials between test points.

To overcome this, a close interval potential survey (CIPS) is undertaken, with pipe-to-soil potentials measured at nominal 2 metre intervals. The CIPS technique can be employed for both buried (onshore) and immersed (offshore) pipelines.

To allow BPA’s Lands team access to points on the ground above the buried pipelines a programme of scrub clearance is being undertaken at points where readings will be taken.  BPA will write to all affected landowners and tenants ahead of the survey. If you have any special access arrangements or any that may have changed please let us know.

The team at BPA will be wearing high-vis clothing and following all the correct procedures required for working near to buried pipelines.

Keep a watch out for the team and don’t forget to contact the BPA Lands Team if you see anything suspicious or any unusual activity along the buried pipeline network.  If in doubt, simply call us on 0800 585 387 and we will do the rest.

 

/by BPA Management

BURIED OIL PIPELINES – REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES

Suspicious van near buried oil pipelines

There are more than 27,000 Km of buried high-pressure oil, gas and chemical pipelines that run the length and breadth of the UK, transporting critical supplies safely, effectively and efficiently across the country.

Unfortunately, in some instances these buried oil or gas pipelines can attract criminal interest whether the illegal tapping of fuel or unauthorised digging near to a pipeline.

BPA works closely with its network of landowners to raise awareness of the issue and asks landowners or tenants to keep vigilant and report any suspicious activities.  This can include seeing suspicious vans parking close to the pipeline, non BPA staff or contractors taking interest in the pipeline route / marker posts, signs of excavations or trenches around the pipeline or the use of hydraulic hoses and storage containers in remote areas.

We ask that all landowners remain vigilant as to any unusual activity undertaken and inform us of any suspicious activities.  If in doubt, simply call us on 01827 63708 and we will do the rest.

To help us most effectively manage the call, we’d ask where possible that callers provide the following information:

  • A contact number should we need to get hold of you
  • The location of the incident – whether a postcode, address or grid reference or even the proximity to a landmark
  • Have the emergency services been contacted?
  • Has anyone been injured?
  • Is there any sign of smoke or fire?
  • Are there still suspicious people or vehicles in the area?
  • Is there a strong smell of fuel, gas or any obvious signs of oil or gas leaking?
  • Is the incident near to a watercourse or public highway?

Even if you’re unable to answer all of the above, please still contact BPA and let us know of any concerns.

Our dedicated helpline number 0800 585 387 that is operated 24/7, 365 days of the year to support landowners or occupiers in the event of a pipeline emergency.  The team has a well-developed, regularly tested, emergency response process and is supported by retained specialist contractors that are in regular contact with the emergency services and regulatory bodies.

Once contacted by a landowner, our duty officer will process the information, provide advice and if necessary contact the emergency services.  The team will also undertake a site visit as well as manage and monitor the situation if required.

Thank you for remaining vigilant and please contact BPA’s Lands team on 0800 585 387 if you have any questions or would like to inform us of any suspicious or unusual activities along our pipeline network.

/by BPA Management

CAUTION IF WORKING NEAR TO BPA’S BURIED PIPELINES

Buried Pipelines

Not taking the correct precautions when working near to BPA’s buried pipelines can have serious consequences.

BPA is however here to help by raising awareness of the issues and providing information and resource at no cost to those working in the vicinity of the buried pipelines.  With the right information and advice, we hope to reduce the risk of a serious incident on the pipelines that we manage.

The buried pipelines carry large volumes of highly flammable petroleum or natural gas products at very high pressure.  BPA’s land team supports landowners across the country by providing advice and support should works need to be carried out near to BPA’s buried pipelines.

The Pipeline Safety Regulations 1996 states that no person shall cause such damage to a pipeline as may give rise to a danger to persons.  Breaking these conditions can lead to prosecution, injury or even death as well as potentially some significant environmental damage.

If damage occurs to a buried pipeline, those commissioning the works (or their contractor) are responsible for any liability under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.  Additionally, should there be any environmental damage, landowners may face prosecution by the Environment Agency as damage to a pipeline can cause serious pollution of soil, water and the atmosphere which is likely to lead to prosecution.

As well as potential prosecution or environmental damage, landowners could face a significant financial penalty as the repair and subsequent clean-up costs of a pipeline incident are typically in the region of £10m.

BPA is empowered to stop all works near the pipeline if it is considered to be unsafe to the pipeline.  The team is however on hand to offer free consultations over the phone or visit the site to help provide support and advice to those looking to operate near to the pipeline network.

Don’t risk damaging a buried pipeline.  Contact a member of BPA’s lands team if you are considering undertaking works near to BPA’s buried pipeline network.

/by BPA Management

Buried Pipelines – contact the team for advice

Buried pipelines

The fine spring weather is allowing farmers to get groundwork underway during one of the busiest times of the year and while ploughing and sowing are happening at full pelt as well as regular maintenance work such as ditch clearing and fencing, farmers and landowners must always be aware of the hazards associated with damaging buried pipelines.

Many pipelines carrying highly flammable products are less than one metre from the surface and if no care is taken can be damaged by invasive farm machinery. Holing a pipeline can result in injury, death or significant environmental damage including pollution of soil, water and the atmosphere. Typical costs of repairing and cleaning up following an incident can run into the millions of pounds.

British Pipeline Agency Ltd (BPA)

BPA distributes highly flammable fuels via more than 1,000km of buried high-pressure fuel pipelines across the UK.  If you are in any doubt about the location of a pipeline beneath your land, contact BPA and we will come and locate the pipeline and give advice to ensure the safety of those working close to the line.  Our `Know what’s Below’ campaign aims to give advice and inform farmers and landowners about their responsibilities.

BPA advice:

If you’re planning on working near a pipeline, we are asking farmers, landowners or contractors to contact BPA in advance of any work being undertaken.  Please also contact BPA’s Lands Team if the line is not clearly marked and we will be happy to arrange for a free site visit to help detail the pipeline’s route.  BPA’s Lands Team is typically able to visit a site within seven days of a request.  We would also ask all landowners to inform third parties or contractors of the pipeline and the precautions that are required if working in its vicinity.

Please don’t just assume it’s ok to drill or dig near a pipeline or to clean ditches with mechanical diggers without speaking to BPA first.  Using use heavy machinery close to a pipeline, erecting fences across a pipeline or installing or repairing land drainage networks near to the pipeline requires prior notice and authorisation.

Please also be aware of any suspicious activities near to the pipeline network and contact a member of BPA’s lands team if you have concerns.  We are here and ready to help, so if you are thinking of undertaking work near to a pipeline, call BPA free on 0800 585 387 and if necessary a team member will come out for a free site visit and give advice.

Thank you for your continued support.

/by BPA Management

BE AWARE OF BURIED PIPELINES – BEFORE YOU CLEAR YOUR DITCHES

Buried pipelines - know what's below

BPA’s Landowner Services team is asking landowners to be aware of buried pipelines before clearing ditches.  The company has launched its Know What’s Below campaign by writing to nearly 2000 landowners and tenants along BPA’s 1000km buried pipeline network in the UK in advance of the regular ‘ditch clearing’ season.

This time of year is particularly important, as farmers typically clear ditches in early Spring.  Keeping watercourses well maintained benefits the community as a whole, particularly if an area experiences flooding.  Poorly maintained watercourses can be a nuisance to the community, can restrict access to property and can result in considerable expense and inconvenience for those that have been flooded. The weather over the winter of 2019/20 has highlighted the issues of how important watercourse maintenance can be to keep our drainage systems working properly.

Cleaning ditches with an excavator or other mechanical equipment can however pose a threat to the buried high-pressure pipelines if not undertaken correctly.  BPA is asking farmers or other landowners who are needing to operate in the vicinity of the buried high-pressure pipelines to contact them in advance of starting any works.

The aim of the ‘Know What’s Below’ campaign is to target landowners and tenants and inform them of the processes to follow if they are planning to work near to the buried network of high-pressure oil pipelines.

As well as asking for up to date details of the landowner, the letter provides information on who landowners need to contact, and what to do, if they are required to operate in the vicinity of one of the high-pressure fuel pipelines.  The letter also advises that BPA’s Landowner Services team are on hand to provide advice and even attend the site to mark out the pipeline’s route.

Please contact BPA’s Landowner Services team if you are planning on clearing ditches or undertaking any  keep a look out for the letter and be sure to promptly return it to the BPA team.

/by BPA Management

KNOW WHAT’S BELOW – BPA SEND LETTERS EARLIER

Know What's Below letters

BPA has launched its ‘Know What’s Below’ campaign a little earlier than in previous years to specifically target landowners in advance of the regular ditch clearing season.

BPA’s Landowner Services team has issued letters to nearly 2000 landowner and tenants along BPA’s 1000km of buried high pressure pipelines in the UK.

The letters ask all landowners or tenants to respond using the enclosed form and self-addressed envelope so that BPA can ensure that their records are up to date and that they have the correct details should we need to contact landowners in the event of an emergency or planned works.

The letter also provides information on who landowners need to contact, and what to do, if they are required to operate in the vicinity of one of the high-pressure fuel pipelines.

Respond by end of March

Those who respond to the request and return their completed forms in the self-addressed envelope by the end of March will automatically be entered into a prize draw to receive one of five luxurious hampers.

Please keep a look out for BPA’s ‘Know What’s Below’ campaign letters and ensure that you promptly return them to a member of the BPA Landowner Services team.  Contact the team for further information.

 

 

/by BPA Management

KNOW WHAT’S BELOW – HAMPER WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Know What's Below hamper

We are delighted to announce the winners of the Know What’s Below hamper draw.  The winners were selected at random from the hundreds of landowners and tenants who confirmed their contact details and returned their pipeline map to BPA.

This year’s luck winners are Ms K. Charlesworth from Nantwich, Mrs H. McBreen from Woolscott, Mrs J. Rawding from Marsworth, Mr R. Daniell from Betchworth and Mr N. How from Hargrave in Northamptonshire.

Each has received a stunning ‘Taste of Christmas’ hamper filled to the brim with everyone’s favourite festive flavours.  The £100 hamper included a range of goodies from indulgent snacks and treats to bottles of red wine, white wine and Prosecco.  The recipients were presented with their hampers by members of BPA’s lands team.

Know What’s Below

As part of its Know What’s Below campaign, each year BPA writes to the landowners along its pipeline network to remind them of the high-pressure oil pipeline that runs under their land, what to do if they need to undertake groundworks in the vicinity of the pipeline and to check that they are still responsible for the land.  Everyone who returns the map, confirming their details is entered into the prize draw.

Phil Taylor, Lands Manager at BPA, comments: “We write to the landowners along the pipeline network to remind them of the high-pressure oil pipeline that run under their land and to confirm that we have their correct contact details.  Those who respond are automatically entered into the draw and it’s great to be able to reward these lucky landowners in this way.”

Letters are sent to more than 2000 recipients along the BPA pipeline network as part of the company’s “Know What’s Below” campaign.  The campaign aims to reduce the number of incidents, accidents and spills along the pipeline network.  Landowners are encouraged to contact BPA’s Lands Team with any questions or concerns they may have regarding the pipelines on 0800 585 387.

/by BPA Management
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MOBILE PROVES POPULAR WITH LANDOWNERS

Know what's below

As part of our ‘Know What’s Below’ campaign to communicate with landowners to ensure they inform us of any changes to landownership or plans to operate in the vicinity of pipelines, we trialled contacting landowners via SMS.

Despite the record responses to our annual letter, some landowners either lost their letters or were too busy to use the self-addressed response envelope.  To offer landowners an easy and convenient way of responding we thought it may work if we sent a text message to the contacts that we have not heard back from.

Of our target list of nearly 300 landowners we sent a simple message asking landowners to reply ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’ to whether the information they had received from BPA was correct or not.  The response rates were very positive more than a quarter deciding to respond in this way.  Our records were updated to reflect those who responded ‘correct’ and while those who replied ‘incorrect’ were contacted by the team and their details were amended.

All recipients were given the option to opt out of the messaging, however the positive response rates showed that this harder to reach group welcomed the opportunity to respond in this way.

If you have any comments regarding our communications, please contact the team by using the email link below.

/by BPA Management
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RECORD RESPONSE FROM PIPELINE LANDOWNERS

BPA's Know What's Below

BPA’s Know What’s Below campaign has received an overwhelming response from the letters it recently issued to nearly 2000 landowner and tenants along its 1000km pipeline network in the UK.

Recipients have responded in record numbers using the enclosed form and self-addressed envelopes, however the BPA Lands Department is keen for those still yet to respond to do so as soon as possible.

By responding, BPA is able to ensure all records are up to date and that they have the correct details should need to be contacted in the event of an emergency.  The letter also provides information on who landowners need to contact, and what to do, if they are required to operate in the vicinity of one of the high-pressure fuel pipelines.  By confirming the landowner details BPA, is able to contact the appropriate person in the need of an emergency.  The Know What’s Below communications campaign also aims to ensure that landowners and tenants along BPA’s pipeline network have the correct details should the need to get hold of a member of the BPA team in the case of a pipeline emergency.

Push for responses

With one final push for responses, BPA is set to select five lucky winners to each receive a luxurious hamper as part of an annual prize draw.  The prize draw for the delicious £100 hamper is made at Christmas, with the winners notified directly by a member of the BPA Lands team.  The BPA team regularly undertakes line walking exercises to survey the land and often makes contact with landowners along the BPA Pipeline network.  This helps ensure that the team is on hand, approachable and available to add expertise and advice to landowners.

If you’ve still not submitted your response, please do so as soon as possible or call a member of BPA’s Lands Department on 0800 585 387 if you are unsure or have lost your documents.  Click here to email the team.

/by BPA Management

LANDS DEPARTMENT – LOOK OUT FOR LETTERS!

BPA Lands Department

As part of BPA’s Know What’s Below campaign the company’s Lands Department has issued letters to nearly 2000 landowner and tenants along BPA’s 1000km pipeline network in the UK.

BPA is requesting all recipients to respond to the letter using the enclosed form and self-addressed envelope.  By responding, we are able to ensure our records are up to date and that we have the correct details should we need to contact landowners in the event of an emergency or planned works.  The letter also provides information on who landowners need to contact, and what to do, if they are required to operate in the vicinity of one of the high-pressure fuel pipelines.

Those who respond to the request and return their completed forms in the self-addressed envelope by the end of June will automatically be entered into a prize draw to receive one of five luxurious hampers.

By responding, BPA is able to ensure all records are up to date and that they have the correct details should need to be contacted in the event of an emergency.  The letter also provides information on who landowners need to contact, and what to do, if they are required to operate in the vicinity of one of the high-pressure fuel pipelines.  By confirming the landowner details BPA, is able to contact the appropriate person in the need of an emergency.  The Know What’s Below communications campaign also aims to ensure that landowners and tenants along BPA’s pipeline network have the correct details should the need to get hold of a member of the BPA team in the case of a pipeline emergency.

Please keep a look out for the letter and be sure to promptly return it to the BPA team.

Many thanks

 

BPA’s Lands Department

/by BPA Management