History of FIMP Engineering
FIMP Engineering Inc. is really a story that starts with me, Terry White, because it’s the culmination of my experience that led to its creation. The 2010 explosion of a natural gas pipeline in San Bruno, CA was a milestone event that significantly changed the company I worked for and my professional goals. Before San Bruno, I worked for 20 years as a field and design engineer for Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) natural gas compressor stations, storage, and transmission regulation stations. I’m a licensed Mechanical Engineer, certified in both Project and Asset Management. Before college, I was an aircraft mechanic in the military, and in commercial industry. Collectively, this background served me well for the path I was to follow.
In 2013, and as a direct result of the 2010 pipeline explosion, I accepted a director position at PG&E, accountable for two “asset families,” which included all transmission and distribution stations. (As background, all PG&E’s gas assets were assigned to one of eight asset families. An “Asset Family Owner” (AFO) was assigned to each asset family and was directly accountable for the risk of their assets.) During this time, PG&E’s Board of Directors, and high-ranking executives hired the best leaders available in the industry to lead a change in PG&E’s gas department. While these leaders were working at the industry level developing the structure and content of PSMS (API RP 1173), they were also working with the AFOs to integrate it internally at PG&E. This provided an incredible learning experience.
From 2013 to 2022, my team and I built and refined a Facility Integrity Management Program (FIMP) to allow us to manage these assets using a structured approach. Various documents and processes were defined, implemented, and refined in the development of our FIMP. Additionally, our FIMP was subject to routine review by various experts including Lloyd’s Register (for ISO 55001 and other certifications) as well as highly regarded industry experts brought in by upper management. The results and achievements of our FIMP are showcased by several best practices, for example:
- Maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) verification for stations that evaluated all features in all transmission stations.
- Directly fed and aligned with five rate case submittals (to which I was the witness in all five rate cases).
- Implemented a program for MAOP re-confirmation utilizing CFR 192.623 Method 3.
- Developed and implemented a mitigation program for over-pressure events, which was presented to the American Gas Association (AGA) in 2017.
- Implemented a systemwide station drawing modernization program.
- Developed an electrical safety program.
- Defined and implemented multiple standardization and modernization programs for equipment/asset-specific groups.
- Leveraged an annual Plan/Do/Check/Act (Deming) cycle to manage asset risk.
In September 2022, I chose to accept an offer of early retirement from PG&E. This afforded me the opportunity to create FIMP Engineering Inc. and allows me to continue to support the industry in this space. I hope you find the information within this website helpful, and that it aids you and your company to improve the safety associated with your assets.