Oklahoma Pipeline Simulator Supports Next-Gen Learning

It was the last piece of the puzzle needed to complete the pipeline simulator at Central Technology Center in Drumright, Oklahoma.

TransCanada’s recent donation of a flow computer helped make the miniature pipeline terminal built inside Central Tech’s pipeline and safety training center even more true to how pipelines function in the real world.

Today’s oil and gas pipelines are sophisticated, computer-controlled machinery that require highly skilled operators. Just like learning how to fly a plane, state-of-the-art simulators are used to teach aspiring technicians how to ‘drive’ the pipelines that deliver energy safely across North America every day.

Central Tech’s simulator – originally built in 2015 – allows high school students, along with adult learners, to gain hands-on experience in safety and operator training in the pipeline industry.

“We try to give our students the most life-like simulation opportunities that they can possibly have,” says Kent Burris, the Assistant Superintendent at Central Tech.

“Employers will send their employees to us from across the nation so that they have a consistent safety training program for all of their employees.”

Tracy Walker, the Cimarron area manager at TransCanada, worked closely with Central Tech to ensure the necessary equipment was donated to complete the design of the simulator.

“The flow computer is an integral piece of equipment in pipeline operation,” he says. “It is a piece of equipment that measures and records information from the pipeline system so that we can accurately ‘bill’ customers for volumes of oil shipped and provide leak detection information for safe pipeline operations.”

TransCanada’s technicians will install the flow computer early this year.

Tracy says, “I’m really excited about this donation because not only are we helping provide a better educational experience to local students, but the enhanced simulator will also be a great tool to help us provide further training to our own technicians and meet the future needs of our business.”

Supporting education and training initiatives in the communities where we live and work is a priority for TransCanada.

This year, we launched our first-ever in-house scholarship program for students pursuing post-secondary education.

As part of our Empower Communities Scholarships program, up to 300 scholarships will be annually awarded to students living near our geographical footprint across Canada and the United States.

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