What is the PODS Pipeline Data Model?

The PODS Pipeline Data Model provides the database architecture pipeline operators use to store critical information and analysis data about their pipeline systems, and manage this data geospatially in a linear-referenced database which can then be visualized in any GIS platform.  The PODS Pipeline Data Model houses the asset information, inspection, integrity management, regulatory compliance, risk analysis, history, and operational data that pipeline companies have deemed mission-critical to the successful management of natural gas and hazardous liquids pipelines.

Why Companies Choose PODS

The PODS Pipeline Data Model is widely adopted and the proven best-practice industry-standard pipeline data architecture available.  The PODS Pipeline Data Model serves as the backbone of a pipeline GIS database.  The PODS Relational Model is implemented on either an Oracle or SQL Server RDBMS, and is therefore GIS-neutral.  The PODS ESRI Spatial Implementation is essentially identical in content to the PODS Relational Pipeline Data Model, but was specifically developed as a geodatabase for implementation on the ESRI platform. 

View the PODS Pipeline Data Model Diagram

This pipe-centric approach to managing pipeline data in a single data repository, a PODS database, helps pipeline owners to collect, verify, manage, analyze, update, maintain, and deliver all the information about their pipelines quickly and reliably to applications and end-users.  Since the data records are linked to a physical segment of pipe, re-route, change of service, asset transfer or sale, abandonment, removal, repair, and replacement are all managed within the PODS database.

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The PODS Pipeline Data Model is widely adopted by natural gas and hazardous liquids pipeline operators to manage their onshore and offshore pipeline assets, in the United States and internationally. 

What is the PODS Association?

The PODS Association, Inc. was created to develop and support open data storage and interchange standards to meet the specific data management needs of pipeline companies. PODS is a not-for-profit, vendor-neutral, pipeline data standards association which began in 1998, was incorporated in 2000, and became a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization in 2004. 

The Association is governed by an elected Board of Directors who guide the strategic direction of Association activities.  The technical development work of the Association is conducted by the Technical Committee, whose members expand and improve the PODS Data Model, documentation, best practices and other association standards.  The PODS Board of Directors and Technical Committee are comprised of pipeline industry professionals whose companies support the PODS Association and contribute their employee's time to Association activities.  The PODS Executive Director works closely with member companies, the Board, and the Technical Committee to lead and manage the activities of the Association.

PODS member companies include pipeline operators, software, service, engineering, and data providers, government agencies, and industry associations, from the U. S. and around the globe.  Some of the world's largest oil and gas companies are key stakeholders in the PODS Association. 

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