Pipeliners Podcast

This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast commemorates the 26th anniversary of the tragic Olympic Pipeline rupture in Bellingham, Washington, which resulted in a catastrophic explosion and the loss of three young lives. Larry Shelton shares his insights from the incident and the conversation serves as a reminder of the responsibilities of those in the pipeline industry.

On the 20-year anniversary of the Bellingham Incident in Bellingham, Washington, Pipeliners Podcast host Russel Treat welcomed retired pipeline professional Larry Shelton to share his first-hand recollections and reflect on the importance of pipeline integrity management.

Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.

In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Mike Kern joins the show to discuss the work of the AGA Transmission Operations Committee and the value of participating in industry trade groups.

The conversation explores key committee initiatives, including regulatory awareness, white paper development on in-situ material testing, and the importance of addressing normalization of deviation in pipeline safety practices.

Listeners gain insight into how collaboration and shared learning influence operational decision-making and career development in the pipeline industry.

On this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by Todd Lakatos and Mary Molina during the 2025 AGA Operations Conference in Aurora, Colorado.

Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.

In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by Laura Ade, Scott Craig, and Andy Donato - chairs of the Gas Control Committee - during the 2025 AGA Operations Conference in Aurora, Colorado.

Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.

In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by Dr. Martha Acosta to discuss building safety capacity and her book, Safety Capacity, during the 2025 API Pipeline Conference in Austin, Texas.

Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.

In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat talks with Jonathan Elder of J.D. Engineering about how smaller gathering system operators are responding to the PHMSA Mega Rule. The conversation explores the unique challenges these operators face, including limited resources, staff constraints, and operational pressures.

Jonathan also shares his own background and insights from working with both large and small operators, offering a grounded perspective on practical compliance in the field.

Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.

In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, Russel Treat welcomes Joe Hainline of Van Ness Feldman to discuss the recent PHMSA advisory bulletin on Pipeline Safety Management Systems (PSMS). Drawing on Joe's regulatory experience at PHMSA and insights from both legal and industry perspectives, the conversation explores the evolving regulatory landscape under the current administration and what it means for pipeline operators. The episode offers a high-level look at how shifting priorities and leadership may shape the future of pipeline safety regulation.

Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.

This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast focuses on building a comprehensive knowledge guide for control room operations. Host Russel Treat outlines key concepts essential to effective control room performance, including human-centered design, training and simulation, fatigue management, procedural consistency, and the role of technology. He also highlights valuable resources—both regulatory and from previous podcast episodes—that can support training and continuous improvement for pipeline control room professionals.

Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.

In this episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat welcomes Weldon Wright to reflect on his extensive career in oil and gas measurement and his recent transition into semi-retirement. Weldon shares insights from decades of experience across utilities, vendors, and operators, while also discussing his role as host of the Oil & Gas Measurement Podcast. The conversation explores career path considerations within the industry and the differences between roles in various sectors, offering guidance for those navigating their own professional journeys.

Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.

This week's Pipeliners Podcast episode is a rebroadcast of Episode 237 featuring host Russel Treat walking through how each individual pipeliner should think about pipeline cyber security as it relates to supporting their operation. The episode centers on three key areas of threats, understanding, and mitigation.

Russel goes into deep detail about cybersecurity threats, the importance of understanding what the nature of the environment is, and how to have healthy cyber hygiene. In this episode, you will learn the language of cybersecurity professionals, as well as how to reduce your chances of being cyber attacked by controlling your personal risk and personal mitigations by identifying phishing, using VPNs, and having proper password management.