Integrity Assessment of the Los Ramones Phase II Natural Gas Pipeline in Mexico

Project Background

Sempra Infrastructure is a leading developer and operator of natural gas infrastructure in North America, with a network that includes more than 7,700 kilometers of transportation and distribution pipelines, as well as LNG facilities located on the Pacific and Gulf Coasts.

Among its key assets is the Los Ramones Phase II – North Natural Gas Transmission System, a critical component of Mexico’s energy infrastructure. The system originates at the Los Ramones Nueva Station in the municipality of Los Ramones, Nuevo León, and spans over 400 kilometers with a 42-inch diameter pipeline.

Designed to strengthen energy security and support economic growth in the region, the pipeline delivers over 1.43 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, connecting key supply sources with major demand centres across central Mexico.

Services

Penspen was engaged to perform integrity assessments to identify and mitigate the impacts of external corrosion on pipeline integrity using the four-stage External Corrosion Direct Assessment (ECDA) methodology.

ECDA is designed to proactively prevent the growth of corrosion defects by identifying corrosive activity, repairing detected defects, and addressing the underlying causes, helping to prevent corrosion from compromising the pipeline structure.

Penspen’s integrity specialists delivered a series of studies, including corrosion Close Interval Potential Surveys (CIPS) and Direct Current Voltage Gradient (DCVG), as well as profiling critical elements including soil resistivity, pH profile, and BSR and BPA bacteria, to inform the assessment.

Direct inspections were then carried out to validate the study alignment results, and produce the final integrity assessment. Penspen’s digital integrity management platform, THEIA, was also utilised to identify correlations and prioritise areas along the pipeline requiring attention.

Result

The resulting study provided a detailed understanding of the pipeline’s current condition and informed future integrity engineering and maintenance plans, developed in collaboration with Penspen’s experts in corrosion, cathodic protection, coatings, and asset integrity.

By combining advanced assessments with Penspen’s digital integrity management platform, THEIA, the project enabled targeted decision-making and risk mitigation strategies to extend the life of the asset, ensure continued operational reliability, and support Sempra Infrastructure’s commitment to delivering safe and secure energy across Mexico and the wider region.

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