By God, if I Were in Charge

This book is a book by and about people who have a great passion for the industry and who have spent most, if not all, of their professional lives making it better, safer, and more sustainable. It is about people who have seen a great deal of change, gained experience and strived for continual improvement. Ten contributing authors have set down their thoughts and career reflections in order to share their experience and knowledge with those who follow. One of the underlying objectives of this book is to present improvement opportunities – in science, operations, standards and regulations – without the constraints of limited resources and the bureaucracies pipeline professionals must often endure.

These improvements can be realized most successfully in a timely and thorough manner through a knowledge transfer paradigm that is grounded in creative approaches to education. Moreover, this book is not a technical report nor is it a textbook. It is a narrative from the people who have been heavily involved in the pipeline industry for decades. Each chapter describes an outcome of that knowledge gained by performing research, writing standards and procedures, influencing regulations, and operating pipelines.