Gas Transmission

ENTRUST offers a depth of experience in all aspects of natural gas and oil pipeline engineering and design. Our managers and engineers support Capital and O&M pipeline projects by completing pipeline sizing and flow calculations, performing pipeline routing and FEED studies, and identifying workspace, easement, and access requirements. We also develop alignment sheets, hydrostatic test plans and site-specific crossing drawings, along with the associated facility design and drawings such as pig launchers and receivers and mainline valves. We work closely with our Data Solutions and Integrity groups to complete mainline valve spacing studies, class location studies, HCA analysis and emergency flow restriction device (EFRD) location studies.

ENTRUST also specializes in In-Line Inspection (ILI) pipeline engineering which helps clients comply with regulations requiring complete records on pipeline location and integrity. The ENTRUST team is committed to designing the best approach for each unique ILI or pipeline pigging modification project. This includes smart tool (pig) launcher and receiver design, as well as any required new or retrofitted pipeline facilities that are necessary to allow the tool to collect data, with minimal impact to pipeline operation.

ENTRUST Solutions Group provides engineering design services for meter and/or regulator stations for a new pipeline, an interconnect with a third party, or replacing existing stations in part or whole. Such design work becomes necessary when an existing station (or portions of) is technically obsolete, if there are equipment issues, if design conditions change, when there is gas loss that is unaccounted for, or where there is a change in product throughput. In many cases, ENTRUST assists with developing or reviewing interconnect agreements (ICA). We help ensure that ICAs communicate the latest design conditions and accurately describe party responsibilities and ownership demarcations. ENTRUST provides the expertise to not only present all options, but to help our clients decide upon the solution that works best for their operating system.

Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is an effective process to install pipelines, often long lengths, utilizing trenchless technology with minimal impact to the feature being crossed. These features are typically sensitive in nature and cannot be disturbed by conventional open trench construction methods. Features may include roads, railroads, waterbodies (rivers, streams, wetlands), or other environmentally or culturally significant areas.

ENTRUST Solutions Group has completed the design of hundreds of HDD crossings, and is considered an industry leader in identification, planning, design, and support during installation of HDDs. Whether part of a larger overall pipeline installation or a stand-alone maintenance/replacement project, ENTRUST can support your HDD. ENTRUST completes a preliminary front end assessment of all HDD crossings and has developed a process that helps ensure the success of those crossings with minimal stress on the pipeline. Our support also continues throughout construction, with pilot hole and final drill path verification (with information provided by the drilling contractor) to help ensure successful pipe pullback.

Demand and dynamic requirements place pressure on our clients to ensure safe and reliable service to their customers. ENTRUST helps clients ensure that they are meeting system demand and maintaining delivery throughput and pressures. New customers and markets can be served by system expansion, new projects, and even conversion of coal plants to natural gas. ENTRUST helps to put our clients and their assets in a position to meet the current and future needs of their customers. ENTRUST’s comprehensive and nationwide experience offers our clients a best practices approach to supporting projects that often begin with feasibility studies and pre-engineering assessments.

ENTRUST evaluates potential pipeline routes based on established environmental, geographical, and regulatory factors to determine feasibility and constructability. Research begins by utilizing existing environmental databases and performing a preliminary aerial imagery route evaluation and surface investigation using Google Earth and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. Potential construction challenges such as road crossings, railroad crossings, land acquisition, environmental considerations, workspace, etc. will be identified as part of these studies as well as any other project specific concerns. ENTRUST also considers the application of meter/regulator facilities and/or compression facilities coupled to a new pipeline as required, including horsepower selection, station siting, equipment sizing, etc.

Total installed cost estimates are also included as part of our feasibility studies and are completed by utilizing historical project costs, industry data, procurement specialists, and by partnering with subcontractors. The cost estimates typically include material, construction, survey, right‐of‐way and land acquisition, environmental and regulatory requirements, permitting requirements, geotechnical, inspection, engineering costs, etc., and can be performed at varying levels of confidence (10%-50%).

ENTRUST manages geotechnical support services utilizing subcontracted third parties. Our in-house expertise can develop the geotechnical scope of work (request for proposal), review reports received from the subcontractor, and/or help coordinate/direct those third parties, as needed.

These services include but are not limited to:

• Subsurface Geotechnical Investigations and Reporting – investigations, primarily soil bores but can also include non-invasive exploratory options, are needed to assist in the design and construction of the pipeline and related facilities. These investigations assist in determining the characteristics of subsurface materials, including the presence and depth of rock. The information gathered will aid in the design of any trenchless crossing method, assist the pipeline contractor in determining the type of equipment needed for directional drilling, boring and general ditching and excavating activities, and assist in the design of pipeline and facility supports and foundations.
• Hydro-fracture Analysis – a hydro-fracture analysis and related inadvertent return risk evaluation assists in establishing the minimum depth of cover under a sensitive feature (waterbody, roadway, levee wall, etc.) to be used during HDD operations to minimize the probability of hydro-fracture or inadvertent fluid returns. The analysis also helps the driller properly choose equipment and provides a maximum allowable downhole pressure during drilling operations.
• Geohazard Analysis – this study identifies potential hazards that could affect pipeline construction and facilities. Examples of these hazards include subsurface soil conditions, potential for landslides or seismic activities, and Karst features. These analyses provide clients with a better overall understanding of the terrain, geology, geotechnical conditions, and geological hazards discovered along their proposed pipeline corridor which could influence the design, construction, and ongoing operation of the facilities.

Surveying and field data collection is an essential component to engineering, design, and construction. ENTRUST Solutions Group’s survey partners utilize the latest GPS, conventional, and 3D scanning equipment to collect and assess accurate existing conditions. The GPS is RTK (real-time) capable using the HxGN SmartNet Control Network with global coverage. ENTRUST’s staff also includes FAA Part 107 certified remote drone pilots enabling our design teams to offer a more cost-effective approach to data collection and scanning. This is especially useful for areas that are inaccessible due to terrain or security issues. The survey technicians process field data to create imagery of complex environments and deliver mapping in various formats compatible across software platforms such as AutoCAD, MicroStation, and ArcGIS.

The technicians also specialize in compiling field collected data in conjunction with land records research to prepare topographic surveys, boundary surveys, right of way and corridor studies, ALTA/NSPS surveys, easement plats (exhibits or certified), metes and bounds descriptions, and subdivision plats for recordation. Our partners have professional land surveyors (PLS) in every state.

From start to finish, ENTRUST’s Surveying & Field Data Collection team plays a vital role in every phase of a project, from concept, design, construction, to post-construction as-builts, we ensure a quality product that meets the needs and deadlines of our clients.

ENTRUST Solutions Group manages environmental survey and permitting as a third-party service or with in-house resources. Environmental permitting coordination may include any/all of the following: waterbody and wetland delineation, threatened and endangered species habitat assessment, regulated waters permitting, cultural resources survey, a historical or architectural investigation, and stormwater pollution prevention plans (or erosion control plans). ENTRUST has experience permitting/filing with the following authorities: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and state and local agencies.

ENTRUST has extensive experience in obtaining non-environmental permits for pipeline projects. Permitting assistance to comply with jurisdictional agency requirements is a valuable resource as the process can often impede a project’s schedule. ENTRUST Solutions Group partners with our clients to ensure that designs and plan sets are in full compliance with all local, state, and federal regulatory entities. We provide the resources and knowledge to deliver client permit submissions complete and on time.

Our broad-spectrum engineering services cover it all including right of way, road (interstates, state, county, municipal), railroad, temporary and permanent access roads and driveways, traffic control, utility encroachments, and building permits. ENTRUST has the ability to research the permitting authority, determine the permitting requirements, and prepare the necessary drawings and permit application package for submittal to the jurisdictional authority. ENTRUST has experience with all crossing methods, including HDD, jack-and-bore, slick bore, pipe ramming, and open-cut. The ENTRUST team is well versed in American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way (AREMA) guidelines, as well as individual railroad operator requirements and standards. Our team has developed relationships with a number of these entities, which helps aid in the approval process for future projects.

ENTRUST also has experience in supporting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) filing and pre-filing processes, including supplemental filings and variances during construction. We develop FERC required drawings including but not limited to alignment sheets, residential mitigation plans, construction standard/typical drawings, site-specific workspace layouts, contractor and storage yards, road entrances and access roads, wetland, and stream crossing drawings. Working closely with the project team, we review the FERC resource reports to ensure their accuracy in presenting project information and construction methods.

ENTRUST’s engineers manage land acquisition and right-of-way (ROW) support as a third-party service. This service includes review of GIS parcel information, development of a property owner list, deed and title research, property exhibits (non-certified), land valuation, survey notifications/permissions, land acquisition (or ROW procurement), review of encroachments of 3rd party assets (ex. foreign pipelines, water mains, etc.), ROW support during and after construction, condemnation (or eminent domain, if required), legal descriptions of easement and workspaces, and recording plats with the county.

Our teams also handle non-environmental permitting with township, county, state, and federal agencies (as applicable) in areas such as traffic control plans, road and/or interstate highway crossings, railroad crossings, and temporary or permanent access road construction.

At ENTRUST Solutions Group, our procurement specialists view every project as an opportunity to help our clients evaluate suppliers, identify critical materials and long lead items, obtain bids, provide solutions for time-sensitive projects, and conduct research for comparisons on best purchasing options. Through these services, we help our clients fulfill RFPs and RFQs, make subcontracting decisions, and proceed with confidence. With decades of experience developing gas specifications, ENTRUST procurement specialists collaborate with our engineers to identify each project’s best resources and pricing. This purchasing data affords our clients a fuller perspective of market trends, predictive factors, and product selection, making service comparisons and technical decision-making far easier. Most of all, ENTRUST Solutions Group delivers procurement insights to conduct accurate bid analysis and accountability in financial, regulatory, and construction requirements.

Additional services include commercial and technical bid analyses, making recommendations to the client, and preparing requisitions. Materials expediting services include regular communication with suppliers and clients regarding schedule and coordinating approval drawing reviews.

Our staff is experienced in providing support for pipeline modernization and standardization initiatives. New federal mandates and safety rules may lead our clients to develop a modernization program focusing on replacements and upgrades of aging pipelines and associated facilities. ENTRUST provides engineering services to support modernization efforts by producing cost estimates, construction drawings, material specifications, and many other deliverables as part of the overall process. When modernization programs span multiple years, ENTRUST assembles dedicated engineering teams to foster consistency and drive efficiency with each task.

Standardization is a process by which an operator makes use of best practices and technology updates to create guidelines or designs to be utilized throughout a region. This activity often requires revising company specifications and standard drawings. ENTRUST partners with our clients to facilitate this process. Our subject matter experts lead the way in updating specifications, often meeting with or interviewing client stakeholders to prepare the documents. Similarly, standardized drawings are created or updated based on feedback from material sourcing, construction, and operations. ENTRUST is regularly able to implement company standards during project execution and then follow-up with recommendations to update or improve those standards.

At ENTRUST, we make it a priority to stay on top of cutting-edge technology, in knowledge, and in equipment. This is especially true with 3D laser scanning. With this service, we can capture highly detailed, three-dimensional scans of complex environments and geometries in a rapid and cost-effective matter. If facilities are hard to reach or measure, or when safety is an issue, 3D scanning is an effective way to document assets. Our team leads the field with their expertise, allowing them to dramatically increase data accuracy, productivity, and the quality of the product. This also translates into less time in the field, fewer return site visits, elimination of conflicts prior to retrofit construction, easily converting data into CAD drawings and models, and integrating software platforms efficiently.

ENTRUST Solutions Group offers comprehensive construction management and inspection services with an emphasis on ensuring safe and compliant installations for assets across the country. Our highly qualified team of field engineers, inspectors and construction managers have decades of experience and knowledge of industry codes, government regulations, standards, and procedures. The majority of ENTRUST’s inspectors and construction managers have direct operating experience, many of whom have spent over 20 years installing and maintaining these same systems. ENTRUST has the kind of “been there, done that” experience needed to drive your construction projects to successful completion. This means our team can hit the ground running with very little ramp up time, a crucial benefit to your project’s performance. ENTRUST believes in creating partnerships that bring world-class experience and expertise into alignment with every project, making sure all needs are met.

We are committed to proactively balancing our personnel so that we are agile and able to quickly meet the inspection needs of our clients. An integral part of this is our dedicated recruiting staff, who keeps a database of potential inspectors updated and on hand. Our inspectors are certified by API (API 1169), AWS (CWI, CPWI), and NACE (CIP Level 1 and Level 2) among other industry organizations. Our core services include field engineering, construction management, material logistics and management, regulatory code and client specific code compliance, site safety, watch and protect services for third-party excavators, operations support, inspection management, welding and coating inspection, general/utility inspection, and environmental inspection.