Pipeline operators can now check safety equipment remotely, not in person

US pipeline regulators are proposing to allow remote checks of electrical equipment that protects hazardous liquid and carbon dioxide pipelines. This means companies will no longer need to send staff to physically inspect these devices.

For decades, pipeline operators had to send people to remote locations to check cathodic protection equipment, which prevents corrosion. This change means they can use sensors and data to monitor these systems from a central office. This could reduce operational costs and potentially increase the frequency of checks, as the physical travel burden is removed.