Wait, wait – where is Christopher?

In this episode of Pipeline Things, Rhett and Chris shake things up with special guest (and new co-host?) Jason Skow of Integral Engineering. Chris joins remotely as the group untangles the complexities of API 1163, reviewing the long-standing assumptions around Level Two and Level Three validations. This episode provides more clarity around the language and why asking the right question matters more than checking the right box.

Along the way, they talk about tax law, criminal law, Star Wars, and medicine. If you’re new here, we promise this podcast is about pipelines…

Highlights:

• Level Two vs. Level Three: acceptance, rejection, and the questions we should be asking
• How code language has influenced industry perception and practice
• Who should be driving validation efforts: operators or service providers?
• Why Level Three might just be "doing the math" rather than “extensive validation work.”

If you've ever wondered about Level Three validation – watch this episode.

Connect:

Rhett Dotson  

Christopher De Leon  

Jason Skow

D2 Integrity

Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating!  

Pipeline Things is presented by D2 Integrity and produced by FORME Marketing.   

D2 Integrity (D2I) is providing this podcast as an educational resource, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of D2I policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by D2 Integrity. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by D2I employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of D2I or any of its officials. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact Sarah Etier at sarah.etier@forme-mktg.com.  

Copyright 2025 © D2 Integrity 

All test labs are the same, right? Wrong.

In this episode of Pipeline Things, Rhett and Chris are joined by returning guest David Futch of Acuren to discuss a recent incident that involved irregularities from a J-Integral lab test.

The conversation breaks down the finer points of what went wrong and sheds light on the importance of placing safeguards around test labs to ensure consistent, high-quality reporting parameters.

Highlights:

• The importance of modulus data in generating high-quality test results
• The role that validity criteria play in accurate J-Integral testing
• What safeguards operators should have in place to ensure accurate lab testing

If you’re looking to get ahead of potential inconsistencies in lab validation testing—or if you’re just looking to know more about fracture toughness than you did yesterday—this episode is a must-watch.

Also, find out what’s up with Chris’s cholesterol. We promise it’s related.

Connect:

Rhett Dotson  

Christopher De Leon  

David Futch

D2 Integrity

Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating!  

Pipeline Things is presented by D2 Integrity and produced by FORME Marketing.   

D2 Integrity (D2I) is providing this podcast as an educational resource, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of D2I policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by D2 Integrity. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by D2I employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of D2I or any of its officials. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact Sarah Etier at sarah.etier@forme-mktg.com.  

Copyright 2026 © D2 Integrity 

In a review of excavations triggered by EMAT results, about 80% of excavations revealed either a) no present anomaly features or b) anomalies unrelated to cracking. But we know the whole story is more complicated than that.

Not all EMAT technology works the same way, and this gap highlighted an opportunity for ILI vendors to step in and serve the market. Working hand in hand with an operator, NDT Global has developed a high-resolution inspection tool for gas systems that uses guided ultrasonic waves to detect crack features. Their PPIM 2026 paper, Development and Validation of a Novel Gas Crack Detection Tool Using Guided Waves, highlights the development and validation of the tool.

In this episode of Pipeline Things, Rhett and Christopher are joined by Michael Haas, Head of Sensor & Measurement Technology, and Rogelio Guajardo, Director, Product Management, of NDT Global, as they dive into the specific capabilities of this new technology, called CIGMA-x (also referred to as CIGMA).

Highlights:

• Exploring how EMAT shortcomings shaped this new technology development
• Discussing the 30-inch gas test loop, specially designed to test CIGMA-x capabilities with simulated features
• Breaking down primary tool capabilities and major findings from full-scale testing

References:

1. Hubert, D. Bag, M. Haas, R. Guajardo and T. Hennig, "Development and Validation of a Novel Gas Crack Detection Tool Using Guided Waves," in Pipeline Pigging & Integrity Management, Houston, 2026.
2. Hubert, T. Hennig, M. Chandrasekaran, K. Baraniecki and O. Shabarchin, "Closing the Gap on Crack Detection for Gas Transmission Pipelines," in 15th International Pipeline Conference (IPC2024), Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 2024.

Connect:

Rhett Dotson  

Christopher De Leon  

Michael Haas

Rogelio Guajardo

D2 Integrity

Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating!  

Pipeline Things is presented by D2 Integrity and produced by FORME Marketing.   

D2 Integrity (D2I) is providing this podcast as an educational resource, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of D2I policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by D2 Integrity. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by D2I employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of D2I or any of its officials. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact Sarah Etier at sarah.etier@forme-mktg.com.  

Copyright 2026 © D2 Integrity 

How long should a permanent repair last? 50 years? Until the next scheduled maintenance?

According to RSPA 98-4733, “permanent” means as long as the pipe will be in service under normal operating and maintenance conditions.

In this episode of Pipeline Things, Rhett and Chris sit down with returning special guest Tim Mally to break down the concept of repair permanency, what it means from a code perspective, and what factors can influence the permanency of composite repairs.

Highlights:

• Breaking down what the code says about repair “permanence”
• What factors affect composite repair permanency
• Criteria to consider for composite reinforcement of non-standard features
• Evaluating existing composite repairs for permanency

Connect:

Rhett Dotson  

Christopher De Leon  

Tim Mally

D2 Integrity

Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating!  

Pipeline Things is presented by D2 Integrity and produced by FORME Marketing.   

D2 Integrity (D2I) is providing this podcast as an educational resource, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of D2I policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by D2 Integrity. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by D2I employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of D2I or any of its officials. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact Sarah Etier at sarah.etier@forme-mktg.com.  

Copyright 2025 © D2 Integrity 

There’s a lot to learn about difficult-to-inspect ILI tools, and who better to learn it from than the one and only Rienk de Vries from Intero.

In this episode of Pipeline Things, Rhett and Chris sit down with returning special guest Rienk de Vries, as they explore the wild west of difficult-to-inspect in-line inspection technology. It’s a conversation filled with details of Intero’s capabilities and advancements in recent years, how they’ve been changed, and where future opportunities might lie.

Highlights:

• Recent developments in Intero’s modular robotic MFL fleet
• What does the development cycle for these kinds of tools look like?
• What will it take to get a turbocharger?
• What is in store for future developments?

Connect:

Rhett Dotson  

Christopher De Leon  

Rienk de Vries

D2 Integrity

Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating!  

Pipeline Things is presented by D2 Integrity and produced by FORME Marketing.   

D2 Integrity (D2I) is providing this podcast as an educational resource, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of D2I policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by D2 Integrity. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by D2I employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of D2I or any of its officials. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact Sarah Etier at sarah.etier@forme-mktg.com.  

Copyright 2025 © D2 Integrity 

UFO sightings in New Mexico correlate with patents granted in the US. Popularity of the first name Alix correlates with carjackings in the US. Obviously, correlations can tell us a lot while also telling us nothing at all. In this episode of Pipeline Things, we dive into geohazards, geohazard statistics, and how the stories they tell aren’t always what they seem.

Tune in as Rhett Dotson and Christopher De Leon return with The Dirt Merchant to discuss why shark attacks appear to rise with ice cream consumption, and what Alex’s PPIM 2026 paper tells us about the prevalence of landslides and hydrotechnical events over time.

Highlights:

• The use and limitations of the PHMSA significant incident database.

• The impacts of data quality

• The key question: Are we getting better at managing geohazards?

• Is it too soon to tell if our geohazard programs are working?

• How consumer behavior affects industry patterns related to failures.

Bonus: For other fun correlations, visit tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations. It’s a hoot and half if you’re a stat nerd like we are.

Connect:   

Rhett Dotson   

Christopher De Leon   

Alexander McKenzie-Johnson

D2 Integrity   

Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating!   

Pipeline Things is presented by D2 Integrity and produced by FORME Marketing.    

D2 Integrity (D2I) is providing this podcast as an educational resource, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of D2I policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by D2 Integrity. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by D2I employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of D2I or any of its officials. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact Sarah Etier at sarah.etier@forme-mktg.com.   

Copyright 2026 © D2 Integrity 

Canada may be just across the border, but when it comes to pipeline integrity management, the differences can make it feel like we’re oceans apart. Learn how each country balances the world of politics and regulators, the key differences in engineering approaches, and the distinction between performance versus prescriptive culture.

In this episode of Pipeline Things, Rhett and Chris bring on Dr. Nicki Robertson, who is currently standing up D2 Integrity’s Canadian office, to discuss pipeline regulations across borders.

Highlights:

• Key differences and similarities between each country’s regulatory environment
• How each country approaches interpreting regulations
• Relationships between operators and regulators
• Ensuring sound engineering for engineering assessments

Connect:

Rhett Dotson  

Christopher De Leon  

Nicki Robertson

D2 Integrity  

Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating!  

Pipeline Things is presented by D2 Integrity and produced by FORME Marketing.   

D2 Integrity (D2I) is providing this podcast as an educational resource, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of D2I policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by D2 Integrity. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by D2I employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of D2I or any of its officials. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact Sarah Etier at sarah.etier@forme-mktg.com.  

Copyright 2025 © D2 Integrity 

On this episode of the Pipeline Things podcast, Rhett and Christopher sit down with guest Mark Ryan of Phillips 66 to discuss the impact of Part Three of the PHMSA Mega Rule on onshore gas gathering lines, 8-inch and up. The discussion confronts the reality that with its adoption, there are no longer any unregulated gas lines.

Highlights:

• Motivations behind the rule stem from a wide-scale effort to reduce emissions across the pipeline industry.
• Enhanced compliance thresholds for gas gathering lines have introduced challenges and opportunities for pipeline operators, like new classifications and reporting requirements.
• Implications of prescriptive vs. performance-based integrity management as the gas gathering space continues to evolve.

If you haven’t thought of the impact of the Mega Rule on gathering lines before, or if you’re knee deep in the new regulations, this episode is for you.

Connect:

Mark Ryan

Rhett Dotson  

Christopher De Leon

D2 Integrity  

Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating!  

Pipeline Things is presented by D2 Integrity and produced by FORME Marketing.   

D2 Integrity (D2I) is providing this podcast as an educational resource, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of D2I policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by D2 Integrity. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by D2I employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of D2I or any of its officials. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact Sarah Etier at sarah.etier@forme-mktg.com.  

Copyright 2025 © D2 Integrity