As vital arteries supplying energy to major urban areas, pipelines are designed to operate under optimum safety conditions. To guarantee the integrity of its installations, Trapil deploys a number of protection and surveillance procedures.

Integrity

X-ray Corrosion protection

• Pipes are made out of high quality steel.

• A specialized organization x-rays and inspects each butt-weld.

• Pipelines are able to withstand significantly higher than pressure standard. Each pipe undergoes hydrotesting at 120% of the maximum available pressure of the tubes. These tests are monitored by the Regional Directorate of Industry, Research and the Environment (DRIRE).

• Pipes are corrosion-proofed.

• For further protection, Trapil uses a cathodic protection system to prevent corrosion of buried pipes.

• Inhibitors are injected into transported products to prevent internal corrosion.

Corrosion Protection To prevent corrosion caused by defective coating, pipelines are under constant cathodic protection. Regular potential readings are used to check that protection is appropriate. In addition, a corrosion inhibitor is injected to guarantee internal protection.

Cathodic protection equipment

Pipeline Monitoring Internal The pipeline is equipped with an automatic leak detection system. The line balance is integral part of the remote monitoring system. It compares network intake with outlput, in real time, and takes into account variations in line capacity due to product compressibility. An alarm alerts the dispatcher to a leak hazard when a specific threshold is exceeded. The pipe walls are regularly inspected by instrumented "pigs"(devices that travel through the pipeline), which detect and pinpoint any defects that may weaken the pipe. External Every month, Trapil carries out at least two overflights and a field inspection to detect any work being carried out near the pipeline that has not been declared. any alterations in the surrounding area that may affect the pipeline (erosion, plantlife, etc.), Signs of possible leaks.

Line balance Instrumented pig Line monitoring