Office of Conservation

SNEAD JOINS TEAM TO MAP U.S. PIPELINES

Cartographic Manager John Snead of the state's Geological Survey has been named to a government/industry team of experts tasked with formulating a National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS). The new mapping system will be used to aid in the safe and environmentally sound transportation of natural gas and hazardous liquid by pipeline in the country.

The mapping team consist of representatives from several federal agencies and four states represented by the Texas Railroad Commission, Louisiana Geological Survey, California State Fire Marshall, and the New York Public Service Commission. Representatives of the pipeline industry include Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, American Petroleum Institute, Chevron Pipeline Co., Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co., Natural Gas Pipeline co., PanEnergy, Conoco, and Mobil Oil. The team is known as MQAT which stands for Mapping Quality Action Team.

Members of MQAT have drafted standards for its digital mapping and database system and for the development of a NPMS repository. The state's Geological Survey is working to become one of the state/regional NPMS repositories. The federal pipeline mapping resources will help planners, regulators, and emergency response agencies in Louisiana, a major oil and gas state.

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Pipeline Safety is responsible for administering the program.

Editors: For more information on this topic, please contact John Snead, LSG at (504) 388-3454.

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