In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Colin Frazier from API returns to discuss the latest on API's Operator and newly launched Contractor Assessment Programs. The conversation explores the evolution, structure, and goals of the contractor-focused initiatives, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement and collaboration between operators and contractors to enhance safety culture across the pipeline industry. Listeners gain insight into how API is working to provide practical tools...
Jul 08, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 396
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast , host Russel Treat speaks with U.S. Representative Randy Weber of Texas about his background, the energy profile of his district, and his motivation for co-sponsoring the Next Generation Pipeline Research and Development Act . Their conversation explores the strategic importance of energy infrastructure on the Gulf Coast, the evolving needs of the pipeline industry, and how bipartisan efforts in Congress are addressing modernization, safety, and emergin...
Jul 01, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 395
This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast features Jimmy Stewart from the Ohio Gas Association discussing the growing intersection between electrical demand and natural gas infrastructure. The conversation explores historical trends in electricity generation, the shifting role of natural gas as a baseload power source, and the increasing pressure from emerging sectors like data centers. The discussion highlights the implications for future pipeline development, infrastructure capacity, and energy p...
Jun 24, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 394
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Brett Adamcik, chair of the AGA Distribution Integrity Management Committee, joins us at the 2025 AGA Operations Conference to discuss the evolving challenges and priorities in distribution integrity. The conversation explores risk modeling, data collection strategies, the anticipated Safety of Gas Distribution Pipeline Rule, and how operators are preparing for future regulatory changes. Brett also shares insights on collaboration within the industry an...
Jun 17, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 393
This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast commemorates the 26th anniversary of the tragic Olympic Pipeline rupture in Bellingham, Washington, which resulted in a catastrophic explosion and the loss of three young lives. Larry Shelton shares his insights from the incident and the conversation serves as a reminder of the responsibilities of those in the pipeline industry. On the 20-year anniversary of the Bellingham Incident in Bellingham, Washington, Pipeliners Podcast host Russel Treat welcomed ret...
Jun 10, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 392
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Mike Kern joins the show to discuss the work of the AGA Transmission Operations Committee and the value of participating in industry trade groups. The conversation explores key committee initiatives, including regulatory awareness, white paper development on in-situ material testing, and the importance of addressing normalization of deviation in pipeline safety practices. Listeners gain insight into how collaboration and shared learning influence operat...
Jun 03, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 391
On this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by Todd Lakatos and Mary Molina during the 2025 AGA Operations Conference in Aurora, Colorado. Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.
May 27, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 390
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by Laura Ade, Scott Craig, and Andy Donato - chairs of the Gas Control Committee - during the 2025 AGA Operations Conference in Aurora, Colorado. Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.
May 20, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 389
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by Dr. Martha Acosta to discuss building safety capacity and her book, Safety Capacity , during the 2025 API Pipeline Conference in Austin, Texas. Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.
May 13, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 388
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat talks with Jonathan Elder of J.D. Engineering about how smaller gathering system operators are responding to the PHMSA Mega Rule. The conversation explores the unique challenges these operators face, including limited resources, staff constraints, and operational pressures. Jonathan also shares his own background and insights from working with both large and small operators, offering a grounded perspective on practical compliance in th...
May 06, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 387
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Russel Treat welcomes Joe Hainline of Van Ness Feldman to discuss the recent PHMSA advisory bulletin on Pipeline Safety Management Systems (PSMS). Drawing on Joe’s regulatory experience at PHMSA and insights from both legal and industry perspectives, the conversation explores the evolving regulatory landscape under the current administration and what it means for pipeline operators. The episode offers a high-level look at how shifting priorities and lea...
Apr 29, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 386
This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast focuses on building a comprehensive knowledge guide for control room operations. Host Russel Treat outlines key concepts essential to effective control room performance, including human-centered design, training and simulation, fatigue management, procedural consistency, and the role of technology. He also highlights valuable resources—both regulatory and from previous podcast episodes—that can support training and continuous improvement for pipeline contro...
Apr 22, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 385
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat welcomes Weldon Wright to reflect on his extensive career in oil and gas measurement and his recent transition into semi-retirement. Weldon shares insights from decades of experience across utilities, vendors, and operators, while also discussing his role as host of the Oil & Gas Measurement Podcast . The conversation explores career path considerations within the industry and the differences between roles in various sectors, offer...
Apr 15, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 384
This week's Pipeliners Podcast episode is a rebroadcast of Episode 237 featuring host Russel Treat walking through how each individual pipeliner should think about pipeline cyber security as it relates to supporting their operation. The episode centers on three key areas of threats, understanding, and mitigation. Russel goes into deep detail about cybersecurity threats, the importance of understanding what the nature of the environment is, and how to have healthy cyber hygiene. In this episode, ...
Apr 08, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 383
On this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by corrosion and reliability engineering specialist Dheeraj Narang to discuss applications of artificial intelligence to integrity management. Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.
Apr 01, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 382
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat reflects on the industry's current state of transition, touching on key topics like artificial intelligence in pipeline operations and shifting regulatory dynamics. He discusses the potential benefits and risks of AI deployment and notes the evolving regulatory landscape under the new administration. Russel also invites listeners to suggest future guests and topics, making this episode a call for industry insights and collaboration. Vi...
Mar 25, 2025•4 min•Season 1Ep. 381
This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast features Dave Murk from the American Petroleum Institute discussing the upcoming API Pipeline Conference. The conversation covers the conference's new format, its "Just Good Business" theme, and key topics such as pipeline safety, regulatory developments, and workforce training. David also highlights the event’s keynote speakers, including Dr. Martha Acosta, who will discuss building safety capacity and learning from failures in the industry. Visit Pipeline...
Mar 18, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 380
This episode of The Pipeliners Podcast features Mallory Gill discussing process management and Pipeline Safety Management Systems (PSMS). The conversation explores the evolving industry focus on proactive safety performance, the distinction between processes and procedures, and the role of process management in achieving PSMS maturity. The discussion also touches on ways that organizations can embed safety processes into daily operations and leverage data for continuous improvement. Visit Pipeli...
Mar 11, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 379
On this week's episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by Ross Adams of EnerSys Corporation to discuss operations effectiveness - what it is, how to define it, and how operators should be thinking about it. Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.
Mar 04, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 378
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by Jim Curry of Babst Calland to discuss the new notice of preliminary rulemaking from PHMSA regarding CO2. Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.
Feb 25, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 377
This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast features a conversation with Dr. Faisal Khan from the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center at Texas A&M University. The discussion explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and process safety, examining how AI can enhance safety performance while addressing potential challenges. Dr. Khan also shares insights into his background, the mission of the MKOPSC, and the broader importance of treating safety as a science rather than just common se...
Feb 18, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 376
This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast features a discussion with Christopher DeLeon and Rhett Dotson from D2 Integrity on the role of artificial intelligence in integrity management. The conversation explores whether AI is a useful tool or just a buzzword, emphasizing the importance of data quality, AI-assisted decision-making, and real-world applications in pipeline operations. The episode also touches on emerging AI-driven technologies, industry trends, and the challenges of integrating AI ef...
Feb 11, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 375
On this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Stuart Saulters from GPA Midstream joins to talk about the future of the midstream sector over the next four years. The discussion explores shifting regulatory landscapes, permitting challenges, and the broader implications of recent executive actions on energy production and distribution. Stuart shares insights into industry trends, policy changes, and the evolving role of natural gas in the energy market. Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full ep...
Feb 04, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 374
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Clint Bodungen of ThreatGEN joins to discuss the intersection of gamification and generative AI in training. The conversation explores how these innovative tools can simulate cybersecurity training scenarios and enhance incident response exercises. Clint and Russel also discuss their collaboration on a PHMSA-sponsored R&D project, where they aim to adapt these technologies for the pipeline industry, offering an exciting glimpse into the potential of...
Jan 28, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 373
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by Tracey Bryant of CenterPoint Energy and Kelee Lusk of Atmos Energy to discuss the Texas Pipeline Awareness Alliance (TPAA). They explore the organization’s history, collaborative efforts, and innovative strategies for enhancing public awareness about pipeline safety. The conversation highlights how pooling resources and leveraging modern media technologies help pipeline operators effectively reach diverse stakeholders acro...
Jan 21, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 372
On this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by Bill Herrington, author of The Green Real Deal. The Green Real Deal provides an in-depth exploration of the intersection between energy independence, environmental policy, and national security. Drawing on decades of industry and financial experience, Herrington provides a balanced strategy for a secure and sustainable future. Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes wi...
Jan 14, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 371
This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast features Mark LaCour from the Oil and Gas Global Network as he joins Russel Treat to share their predictions for the pipeline industry in 2025. The discussion begins with a review of their predictions from the previous year and an analysis of key trends, including AI-driven pipeline integrity, ESG challenges, and mergers and acquisitions. Looking forward, they explore emerging technologies like smart pipelines and the increasing role of natural gas exports,...
Jan 07, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 370
This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast celebrates the holiday season and reflects on the journey of the podcast since its inception in 2017. Host Russel Treat shares insights about the mission of the podcast—educating through conversation—and discusses the importance of the pipeliner's role in maintaining critical infrastructure safely and responsibly.
Dec 31, 2024•7 min•Season 1Ep. 369
In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Russel Treat is joined by Chris Viator, Muddy Boots Support Lead at EnerSys Corporation, to discuss the transformative role of cloud solutions in field operations. The conversation explores how cloud-based tools enhance efficiency, streamline workflows, and address challenges faced by field technicians and back-office teams alike. The episode also examines the evolution of technology in oil and gas operations and the growing importance of cybersecurity ...
Dec 24, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 368
This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast features Ed Landgraf of Texas 811, who shares his insights on marine pipeline sustainability and spill prevention. Ed discusses lessons learned from major underwater pipeline incidents, such as the Huntington Beach anchor drag and the Corpus Christi dredging accident, and highlights the importance of education, stakeholder engagement, and improved communication to mitigate risks. The conversation also touches on unique threats to underwater pipelines, inclu...
Dec 17, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 367
