"We plan to keep the Pipeline Simulation Facility fully operational, and we are actively looking for ways to expand the facility through workshops, meetings, tests, and demonstration programs," said Tom Bubenik, Battelle's program manager for the facility. "Battelle is committed to making the facility an exceptional resource for hazardous liquid and natural gas pipeline companies."

As part of the ownership change, Battelle has renamed the facility the Battelle Pipeline Safety & Reliability Center (PS&RC). The PS&RC is a multifaceted, multifunction center that focuses on pipeline integrity. It will provide equipment, training, and testing capabilities by which integrity management programs and their components can be assessed, developed, demonstrated, and improved.

For decades now, Battelle has been a key participant in developing and evaluating pipeline technologies. Clients include leading domestic and international pipeline companies and industry organizations, including the Pipeline Research Committee (PRCI), as well as the Gas Research Institute, and most recently, the U. S. government. Battelle continues to expand services to the industry and expects the PS&RC to be a cornerstone for domestic and international pipeline research.

The Battelle Pipeline Safety & Reliability Center is comprised of both small- and large-scale equipment. The full-scale flow loop, located on site, is one of the few places where sophisticated test methodologies can develop, evaluate, and demonstrate technologies without risking the integrity or throughput of an operating pipeline. The loop is over a mile of pipeline that operates at pressures up to 1,000 psi and at flow velocities over 10 miles per hour. Through the process of construction, operation, maintenance, and management, Battelle has gained a significant understanding about the day-to-day challenges facing pipeline companies.

Battelle's Pipeline Technology Center, first introduced in 2001, combines several activities under one organization. Some of the work includes the development of integrity-management standards for API, NACE International, INGAA, and other key organizations. Other capabilities include providing technology-based solutions to mitigate operational risks for the industry and helping the industry generate and implement cost-effective technologies for assessing, monitoring, and improving pipeline integrity.

Battelle is a global leader in science and technology. It develops and commercializes technology and manages laboratories for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle and the national labs it manages or co-manages have 16,000 staff members and conduct more than $2.7 billion in annual research and development. Battelle innovations include the development of the office copier machine (Xerox), pioneering work on the compact disc, and medical technology advancements.

For or more information, please contact Tom Bubenik, PS&RC Program Manager, at (614) 424-5331, bubenikt@battelle.or ; Brian Leis, Senior Research Leader, at (614) 424-4421, leis@battelle.org; or Katy Delaney, Media Relations Manager, at (614) 424-5544, delelaneyk@battelle.org.

Internet: http://www.battelle.org/