Williams

The program spans project execution, nuclear energy, and grids, AI, and infrastructure. Sessions address financing and delivering the U.S. energy buildout; grid capacity, interconnection, transmission, reliability, and cost allocation; and the effects of data-center and industrial demand on power planning. Nuclear topics include power for data centers, first-of-a-kind project cost and delivery, nuclear finance, HALEU and fuel supply, utility choices among large reactors, SMRs, and microreactors, and pathways to SMR deployment. Other sessions cover LNG security, trade, and investment; energy storage and grid-edge technologies; AI in energy operations; and project bankability, permitting, policy, supply-chain, and delivery risks. The program also includes executive roundtables, a project-execution clinic, and an energy startup pitch competition.

The technical program covers pipeline integrity management, in-line inspection (ILI), engineering assessments, geohazards, crack and dent assessment, seam-weld threats, repairs, and hydrogen transportation. Plenary topics include operator guidelines and specifications, technical knowledge management, assessing existing pipelines for hydrogen service, selective seam-weld corrosion, and PHMSA MAOP reconfirmation requirements. Parallel technical tracks address landslide monitoring and pipeline strain; crack characterization and management; ILI applications, analysis, and verification; hard spots; dent assessment; engineering assessment; hydrogen transportation; integrity management; difficult-to-inspect pipelines; materials verification; and repair technologies. Presentations include work on ILI run comparisons, risk-informed assessment choices under the PHMSA Gas Mega Rule, dent engineering critical assessment, non-intrusive pipeline assessment, material testing, and repair qualification. A panel addresses PHMSA repair criteria for hazardous-liquid and gas-transmission pipelines.

The November 10 workshop begins work on revising API Standard 1163, ILI Systems Qualification, from its 3rd edition toward a 4th edition, gathering initial input from industry subject-matter experts. The November 11 PIX forum focuses on pipeline operators sharing information and lessons learned from pipeline incidents, near misses, industry practices, and improvements to pipeline safety programs. Agenda topics include API data tools for pipeline operating companies; offshore pipeline operations; H2S sour-service management; dynamic pressure-wave methods for locating pipeline obstructions; personnel and excavation safety; hot-work mitigation; integrity management, waterway crossings, crack penetrators, leak-volume estimation, valve failures, and pipeline repairs; workforce development through internships and co-op programs; AI applications in integrity management; and public engagement and damage prevention. The PIX day is for pipeline operating company representatives; the separate workshop is open to interested participants.