By Ahuva Battams and Raj Lahoti
Summer heat isn’t just uncomfortable for field crews — it’s one of the most underestimated threats to pipeline integrity.
As temperatures climb across Texas and the Southwest, operators need to be thinking proactively about how extreme heat affects their systems and what regulators expect them to do about it.
How heat impacts pipeline operations:
- Thermal expansion — High temperatures cause pipe materials to expand, increasing stress at joints, bends, and connections. Over time, this contributes to fatigue and potential failure points.
- Coating degradation — Excessive heat accelerates the breakdown of external pipe coatings, leaving lines more vulnerable to corrosion.
- Pressure fluctuations — Heat affects the density and pressure of transported product, requiring closer monitoring to stay within safe operating limits.
- Ground movement — In Texas, summer heat and drought conditions cause soil to shift and crack, which can stress buried pipelines and compromise support structures.
What operators should be doing now:
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) integrity management rules (49 CFR Parts 192 and 195) require operators to identify and respond to environmental threats — and extreme heat qualifies. The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) expects operators to maintain updated risk assessments and inspection records that reflect seasonal conditions.
Practical steps include increasing patrol frequency on high-consequence areas (HCAs), reviewing pressure monitoring logs, verifying cathodic protection systems are functioning properly, and ensuring field personnel are trained on heat-related anomaly reporting.
Compliance doesn’t take a summer break. Neither should your integrity management program.
How Beatty & Wozniak can help:
At Beatty & Wozniak, we offer a depth of expertise that’s difficult to find anywhere else. Our regulatory and midstream teams are available to assist clients with any questions — from federal pipeline safety and RRC obligations to environmental reporting and operational risk.
If your team is facing a PHMSA inspection, preparing for an RRC audit, or looking to strengthen your integrity management program during summer operations, Beatty & Wozniak is ready to help.
For more information, please contact Ahuva Battams or Raj Lahoti.