Gas pipelines under farmland call for a cautious approach

In Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, gas company GNI (UK) is urging farmers and other landowners to take care when working near underground high-pressure gas pipelines. The company says the biggest threat to the pipeline is third-party ground disturbance within the wayleave, the strip of land alongside it.

Northern Ireland's high-pressure gas network consists of transmission and distribution pipelines. Sections of the transmission network, which carries gas across the country and often passes through rural areas and farmland, are owned and operated by GNI (UK) and Mutual Energy. The smaller distribution pipelines, which deliver gas to homes and businesses in towns and cities, are run by Phoenix Energy, Evolve and Kinecx.

GNI (UK) owns and operates about 250km of high-pressure transmission pipeline in Northern Ireland, crossing land belonging to more than 850 landowners. At a recent meeting for landowners along its routes, aimed at promoting safety awareness and preventing accidental strikes on buried pipelines, the company said its pipelines are subject to rigorous management and maintenance. This includes internal imaging equipment able to detect the smallest irregularities within the system.

GNI (UK) operations manager Paddy Conway said the equipment travels the full length of the pipeline and picks up even the smallest anomaly, allowing the operations team to act. He added that maintaining the highest health and safety standards is the company's top priority.

Work that needs particular care

Activities requiring care near the pipelines include cleaning out drains, putting up new fencing, storing bales and planting trees. Conway noted that tree roots can enmesh a nearby pipeline over a period of years. Routine agricultural work, including ploughing, tilling and sub-soiling to a depth of 300mm, can continue as normal.

Landowners are encouraged to contact GNI (UK) before any ground works, using the freephone number 08456 08 00 66. Marker posts at roads and property boundaries show where pipelines run, but it should not be assumed that a pipeline follows a straight line between posts. If necessary or on request, a company representative will visit a site to locate and mark out the pipeline and advise on what work is permitted.