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Bowtie Method of PIMS International

The method of risk assessment has been developed on behalf of Gasunie by PIMS International (PI) in close cooperation with Gaz de France Suez NL and Total EP NL. Major objective of the development of the methodology was to develop a coherent Safety Management System and to meet the requirements of the BEVB (Dutch Act on Integrity Management of Transmission Pipelines, 01/01/11). The method Bowtie of Risk Assessment is based on a combination of the well known bowtie methodology and the additional requirements on life cycle management as been described in the NTA 8000, the Dutch code on Pipeline Integrity Management System (PIMS).

Remark: the BEVB refers to the NTA 8000 as the PIMS code covering all legal requirements.

Integrity control, as been defined by a Safety Management System (SMS) like the NTA 8000, is a process of continuous improvement and has to be an integral part of all operational activities of the pipeline operator. Risk assessment has to play a key role in this process: (new) risks are identified and neutralized by appropriate (new) measures that are the basic elements for the Annual Integrity Management Plan. Control of the effectiveness of this Plan has to be monitored by a set of Performance Indicators that should provide the operator with a comprehensive view the way he is running his business. The NTA 8000 has a primary focus on the effectiveness of integrity- and risk control however, it provides the opportunity to balance safety, performance and also costs. The bowtie methodology of PI covers both aspects: it enables the pipeline operator to manage his integrity and risk on the most economic way. An overview of the bowtie methodology including the performance indicators is given in the following chapters.

Performance Indicators can be derived from the bowtie parameters following a logical and systematic approach. No brainstorm sessions with, in general, a more or less random set of performance indicators but a highly structured and transparent method with maximum reference to the key element of the SMS: the risk assessment itself. In fact, the performance indicators are the basic elements of the bowtie diagram resulting from the risk assessment:

1. The unwanted event,
2. The barriers that minimize the failure frequency of that unwanted event,
3. The barriers that minimize the consequence(s) of that unwanted event.

This set of performance indicators represents exactly the issues that have to be controlled by the Asset Integrity Manager. All underlying parameters (corrosion control, 3rd party interference prevention etc.) contribute to these high level performance indicators but don’t have to be reported separately. Moreover, the bowtie diagram supports the Asset Integrity Manager in balancing between all threats and related measures in prioritization: finding the most economic measures to meet the risk- and integrity objectives.

Download here the presentation about the Bowtie Methodology by PIMS International.

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