Aerial view of a forested area with a visible landslide. Overlaid text reads: Geosyntec Geohazards Team Supports Development API Recommended Practice 1187 Landslide Hazard Management and Geosyntec consultants in the corner.

Published On: October 2nd, 2024

Geosyntec’s Geohazards Team Plays a Key Role in Developing API Recommended Practice for Landslide Hazard Management

Geosyntec’s Alex McKenzie-Johnson, PG, LG, LEG; Bailey Theriault, PG, LG; and Ali Ebrahimi, PhD, PE, along with our partner company, the Center for Reliable Energy Systems (CRES), were key contributors to the first pipeline industry standard for managing landslide hazards for onshore pipelines.

Our team served as the lead author and project manager of the document on which API Recommended Practice 1187 (API RP 1187), Pipeline Integrity Management of Landslide Hazards is based. We also participated in the public review process for the document, published in August 2024.

About API Recommended Practice 1187

API Recommended Practice 1187 provides a comprehensive framework for managing the threats that landslides pose to natural gas, hazardous liquid, and carbon dioxide transmission pipelines. The publication includes detailed processes to actively manage landslide hazards during pipeline operation and sets forth considerations for anticipating and avoiding landslide hazards during design, route selection, and mitigation planning.

Project History

In 2022, Geosyntec was hired by a joint industry project of 11 pipeline operators administered by the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and INGAA Foundation to spearhead the creation of the guidance document, Recommended Practice for Pipeline Integrity Management of Landslide Hazards. This guidance, published in April 2023, became the basis for the subsequent API Recommended Practice 1187, published in August 2024. These documents provide a comprehensive framework to address the safety and environmental integrity of transmission pipelines and offer guidance on how to manage threats associated with landslides.

About Geosyntec’s Partners on this Project

CRES works to solve the energy industry’s high-impact and complex problems, with a focus on the reliability and structural integrity of energy systems. By leading and actively participating in revising and updating industry codes and standards, CRES strives to positively influence industry practice.

The INGAA Foundation facilitates the safe, efficient, reliable and environmentally responsible design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the North American natural gas transmission and complementary clean energy systems. INGAA is a trade organization that advocates for federal policies, laws, and regulations that support interstate natural gas transportation and storage infrastructure.

Since 1919, API has promoted safety across the United States natural gas and oil industry. The Institute has published more than 800 Standards and Recommended Practices to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

About the Team

Alex is a Senior Principal Geologist with more than 22 years of experience focused on geotechnical engineering and pipeline geohazards.

Bailey is a Senior Principal Geologist based in New Hampshire with more than 14 years of experience focused on geohazard assessment and management for oil and gas clients.

Ali is a Senior Principal Geotechnical Engineer based in Texas with more than 15 years of experience focused on geotechnical engineering and design, geological hazard assessment and mitigation, and geotechnical instrumentation and monitoring.