Quantitative Risk Assessment in Iran’s Natural Gas Distribution Network

Abstract

Natural gas (NG) is one of the widely used domestic fuels in most of the countries, and because of economical and environmental advantages, its consumption is continuously increasing. As a result, complex piping systems are being installed to transport and distribute the gas for end users. Pipelines carrying NG are a significant source of hazard for their adjacent society. The risk of this hazard could be high especially in distribution network and urban areas where the population density is high. The common causes of accident in NG distribution network are: third party interference, corrosion, fatigue, stress corrosion cracking (SCC), etc. Accident in network leads to leakage and release of NG and consequent injuries and losses. To prevent these adverse outcomes, the risks should be identified and assessed carefully, so that they can be controlled and managed properly. In this work, risk assessment of NG distribution pipelines was surveyed and quantitative methods were recommended for assessing the individual and societal risks of distribution network.