NETL publicly released an award-winning analytical tool that uses advanced big data computing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and advanced analytical models to evaluate energy infrastructure integrity — a capability that can lead to effective cost savings and improved operational measures for environmental safety.  

The NETL-developed Advanced Infrastructure Integrity Model (AIIM) web mapping application is available on the Department of Energy’s Energy Data eXchange® (EDX). Recognized with a 2022 Tech Connect National Innovation Award, AIIM has been acknowledged as a standout technology in its field. 

AIIM can be applied to evaluate the integrity of offshore energy infrastructure, including pipelines and platforms.  Infrastructure, like those in the Gulf of Mexico, play an essential role in ensuring access to safe and secure energy for the United States. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, production in the Gulf of Mexico accounts for 15% of total crude and 5% of total natural gas from the United States.

AIIM began in 2018 as an approach to assess offshore energy infrastructure integrity but has also been used to perform onshore infrastructure assessments related to carbon capture, transport and storage research, and more. 

Jennifer Bauer, a geo-data scientist at NETL, explained that, because of growing national efforts to decarbonize, existing infrastructure may also be reused for other energy purposes.

“Many of these structures have been operating past their original design life, while others are at risk of attrition before return on investment,” she said. “To better understand the potential for reuse or life extension opportunities, an assessment of the infrastructure integrity is critical to inform decision making. AIIM provides key insights for assessing structural integrity related to infrastructure use and reuse. It’s a better way to develop risk prevention planning for regulators, researchers and industry.”

Kelly Rose, Ph.D., senior fellow of computational science and engineering at NETL, added that AIIM builds upon the Department of Energy’s supercomputing, AI and geo-data capabilities.

“AIIM integrates big data, big data computing, and multiple ML and advanced analytical models to evaluate energy infrastructure integrity,” she said. “This tool was developed in support of NETL’s Science-based AI/ML Institute (SAMI), which uses AI/ML and high-performance computing to accelerate technology development for clean and efficient energy production.”

AIIM applies a series of machine learning models to multiple public datasets representing components of the natural-engineered system and forecasts potential risk and remaining lifespan of infrastructure. AIIM integrates factors representing stressors, like daily operational wear-and-tear, environmental and geologic variables, reported incidents, and structural characteristics. The comprehensive evaluation helps quantify remaining life spans and identify potential integrity issues before they occur. 

“To better understand the potential for life extension opportunities as well as remediation needs, AIIM provides key scientific and data-driven insights that can help secure our energy infrastructure, support risk prevention, inform maintenance and regulatory inspection plans and ultimately provide cost savings and measures that ensure operational and environmental safety,” Bauer said. “AIIM is paving the way for safe, sustainable and scientifically supervised AI-informed carbon-neutral solutions through infrastructure integrity technology.”

NETL drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By using its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant, and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.