PPIM Conference and Exhibition, Houston
More than 3400 people from 35 countries attended the 35th PPIM Conference and Exhibition in Houston this February. It was an amazing turnout for the first truly post-Covid edition of the conference, virtually tying the all-time record attendance.
The annual PPIM has evolved to become one of the world’s two major technical forums on pipeline engineering and integrity, alongside the biennial IPC in Calgary. Ninety-four papers were presented at PPIM 2023 in a program comprising 16 different
topical sessions. The 75,000 ft2 Exhibition Hall was filled with 173 companies and organizations displaying an incredible array of tools and technologies to address every aspect of managing pipeline assets, from trenching equipment and internal cleaning to inspection data analysis and risk
assessment. The displays were supported by technical experts on-hand at the booths, providing 3D, real-world exposure to the concepts and solutions
presented in the many technical papers.
In a tradition that began in 2018, the opening session included presentation of the John Tiratsoo Young Achievement Award by Young Pipeliners International. YPI presents this award each year to recognize outstanding young people in the industry. This year’s recipients were Cassandra Moody of Time for Change LLC and Sarah Newton of BGC
Engineering. Remarkably, attendees under the age of 36 comprised almost half the crowd at PPIM – an encouraging sign for the future. Accordingly, beginning in 2024 students and job seekers who wish to attend the PPIM technical sessions will be able to do so at a very low nominal registration rate.
The 2023 event led off with two days devoted to education and training. Eight courses explored the depths of critical integrity-management activities like pigging and inspection, defect assessment and repair, testing, and risk management. More than 300 people took advantage of these learning opportunities.
PPIM 2024 is set for 12-16 February in downtown Houston. The call for papers has been issued with an abstracts deadline of 7 September of this year.
