Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) said Friday that it has completed hydrostatically testing more than 160 miles of its natural gas transmission pipeline system, completing a greatly stepped up pressure testing effort that is going to continue for years.

The San Francisco-based combination utility emphasized the aggressive testing and inspection that it had managed to complete in the wake of federal and state regulatory mandates following the Sept. 9, 2010 PG&E transmission pipe rupture and explosion in San Bruno, CA. “The final test of the year was performed this week and many more will follow during the next several years,” said a PG&E spokesperson.

Under increasing criticism of its efforts before, during and after the San Bruno incident, PG&E seeks to have regulators and customers realize that the beleaguered utility has accomplished a lot more in recent months and its overall gas pipeline system is as safe and reliable as ever.

“This testing program was really an unprecedented effort for the gas industry, and this year was just the beginning,” said PG&E Executive Vice President Nick Stavropoulos, who PG&E recruited in 2011 as part of its response to recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) (see Daily GPI, May 9).

“Every day we are accomplishing more to ensure that our natural gas system is operating safely and reliably throughout our service area, and we will continue to take aggressive action to make our gas system safer and stronger for our customers,” Stavropoulos said.

Since starting the intensive testing last April as recommended by the NTSB and CPUC, PG&E has completed 97 tests. Three segments of its transmission system — Bakersfield, Palo Alto and Woodside — failed the testing and had repairs and subsequent retesting. In January the testing will continue to verify safe operating pressures for all of the utility’s transmission pipelines. PG&E plans to test 185 more miles in 2012, 204 miles in 2013 and 158 miles in 2014.

Using water under much higher pressure than the normal gas operations in pipelines, hydrostatic testing is helping identify any segments needing repair and replacement, but it is not the only measure being used by PG&E to shore up the safety management of its system. Through 2014, PG&E plans to replace 190 miles of gas transmission pipeline, automate more than 220 valves and conduct in-line inspections of more than 230 miles of pipeline using state-of-art technology, the utility said.

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