Enbridge says expanded inline inspection activity increased recorded anomalies; PSC asked for cost and mileage context

Enbridge Gas told the Utah Public Service Commission that recorded anomalies increased in recent years because the company has expanded inline inspection (ILI) to additional pipeline sections and converted historic lines for ILI use. A company presenter explained that inline inspection — inserting a smart tool (a “pig”) and running it through a line — surveys the entire pipe section between launch and receive points, while external direct assessment targets specific high‑consequence areas. Converting lines to ILI therefore picks up anomalies across broader lengths that previously went uninspected. PSC staff asked why transmission miles assessed fluctuate year to year. Enbridge said mileage varies because the company schedules different lines in different years and manages a limited number of projects during summer months, so some years show 80 miles inspected and others more than 100 miles depending on which projects are bucketed for the year. Company staff added that longer sections have more data to analyze and therefore higher contractor costs per project, though not necessarily higher per‑mile difficulty. The presenters did not propose regulatory changes to the integrity management program at the conference; they said the ILI expansion reflects routine pipeline integrity work described in the IRP and that engineering staff can provide additional project‑level detail outside the technical conference.