Pipeline Services Corporation was founded by Kenneth Hanks to provide consulting services to the Oil & Gas pipeline industry. Mr. Hanks has been active in the pipeline modeling and operator training simulation fields since 1983, which has included work in crude, refined products, gas, and coal slurry pipelines.

He holds a B.S. Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland. Prior to the formation of Pipeline Services Corporation, he was the Director of Marketing for the Oil & Gas Industry at GSE Systems, where he was responsible for the introduction of one of the industry's leading pipeline modeling packages. This pipeline model has been implemented in several of the the largest and most recognizable pipelines in the country. Mr. Hanks is instrumental in the industry push to completely integrate simulation models into the pipeline operators normal SCADA environment. Refer to the 1998 ENTELEC paper on this subject in Events & Publications.

In Spring, 1998, the Department of Transportation - Office of Pipeline Safety released the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Operator Qualification. This guideline requires that every pipeline in the country which is subject to 49CFR192 for gas distribution and transmission pipelines, and 49CFR195 for liquids pipelines must have a compliant operator qualification program in place within a three year period starting from Fall, 1998.

His extensive experience in on-line modeling, leak detection, training simulation, SCADA implementation, with a specialty in operator training simulation makes Mr. Hanks one of the most qualified people in the industry to offer pipeline consulting services. This experience allows Pipeline Services Corporation to assist pipeline companies in the design of the training simulator, the implementation of the attendant operator certification program, and the larger problem of coordinating the on-line pipeline model, the training simulation model, the SCADA system, and the actual training program.

Mr. Hanks has also been involved with the key people and organizations which are responsible for the new operator qualification guidelines. Refer to the paper presented at the 1998 AGA spring operation conference on this subject in Events & Publications. This paper describing how to comply with 49CFR192 and 49CFR195 with training simulation, was reviewed by Richard Felder, Associate Director of OPS, and Richard Huriaux, Director of Technology and Regulation at OPS prior to delivery to ensure that it is compliant with the new guidelines. This relationship, and the participation in both the AGA and SGA roundtables specifically addressing this guideline, give Mr. Hanks an unparalleled understanding of all three sides of the new Federal operator qualification requirements. These sides are the regulatory requirements from OPS, operational concerns from the pipeline companies, and the implementation implications from the vendors.

Pipeline Services Corporation would like to use this experience to help your pipeline by providing consulting services to assist in the successful implementation of pipeline training simulation, on-line modeling applications, operator training program, program management, and the replacement of SCADA systems. Please visit the Consulting Services section to review the detailed services provided.