In-House Gas Control

In April 1997, the operational and commercial gas control functions for the Iroquois pipeline were relocated from Hockley, Texas to our new gas control center at our Shelton headquarters:

• to comply with 365 day/year and extended evening nomination service as required by the FERC's Order 587;
• to maximize management of line pack and system balances to enhance transportation services; and
• to increase focus on monitoring and emergency management of facilities.

Iroquois' gas control center is staffed 24/7/365 by a team of operator-qualified system controllers.

The Pipeline

Our steel pipeline was made to exacting specifications which guaranteed extremely tough pipe. This toughness, in combination with the thickness of the pipe wall, make the Iroquois pipeline extremely difficult to penetrate and very tolerant to many types of damage. Additionally, a high-integrity, fusion-bonded epoxy coating was applied to the steel pipe to prevent corrosion.

Cathodic Protection

An important component of the Iroquois pipeline is our cathodic protection system, which was built into the pipeline to help reverse the electrochemical processes associated with corrosion. We monitor our cathodic protection system on a regular basis, including the use of close-interval surveys of pipe-to-soil voltage along the right-of-way to confirm the integrity of the protection system.

Internal Inspection

The Iroquois system is designed to handle an internal inspection tool called a pig. Pigs are inserted inside the pipeline system through pig launchers and carried along the inside of the pipe by the flow of the natural gas. Utilizing high-tech inspection methods in combination with on-board electronics, the pigs have the capability to detect, locate, and characterize flaws. This inspection allows for the detection of potential safety problems long before they become an immediate concern.

Compressor Station Operations

Iroquois' five compressor stations in Croghan, Boonville, Wright, Athens, and Dover, New York, each feature redundant, fail-safe station control and monitoring capabilities.

Sophisticated automatic control, detection, emergency shutdown, and fire protection systems are designed to operate whether the station is attended or unattended. Cameras provide visual monitoring of the compressor stations for security and safety, and cameras can be used for on-site viewing as well as from our Gas Control Center at our Shelton headquarters.

Updated 6/20/06