THE PANEL
We are an independent panel of experts in the pipeline industry. We set competency standards for pipeline engineers, advise on how engineers can gain and maintain these standards, and can help certify engineers who meet our standards.
​
The Qualification Panel for the Pipeline Industry meets twice a year, to set standards, and certification processes and procedures. The Panel membership is reviewed every three years, and meetings are sponsored by ROSEN Group, Switzerland.
MEET OUR MEMBERS
Dr. Phil Hopkins
​
​
​
Phil Hopkins is a consulting engineer with more than 40 years’ experience in pipeline engineering.
Phil formed his consultancy company in 2015, after being Technical Director with Penspen Ltd. in the UK, and previously Managing Director of Andrew Palmer and Associates, in the UK. He has worked with most of the major oil and gas companies and pipeline companies around the world, providing consultancy on management, business, design, maintenance, inspection, risk analysis and safety, and failure investigations. He is the past-chairman of the ASME Pipeline Systems Division, and is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the UK’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers. More than 20,000 engineers and technical personnel around the world have attended his training courses. He has also been a Professorial Fellow at Newcastle University, UK, and a Visiting Professor at Northumbria University, UK.
Kent Muhlbauer
​
​
​
W. Kent Muhlbauer is a principal of WKM Consultancy, LLC, a firm specializing in pipeline design, construction, operations and management.
With over 35 years’ experience in the pipeline industry, especially focused on pipeline risk management and integrity management, Mr. Muhlbauer, is an advisor to government regulatory agencies and academia as well as pipeline operators and remains an oft-invited speaker at industry conferences worldwide. Since its inception in 1994, WKMC, LLC has been the primary consultant in numerous pipeline technical and managerial projects for over 100 clients, including most major U.S. and international pipeline operating companies.
Mr. Muhlbauer is the author of the widely-respected reference book series Pipeline Risk Management Manual (in print since 1991), as well as the new Pipeline Risk Assessment: The Definitive Approach and Its Role in Risk Management
Eric Jas
​
​
​
Eric Jas is the founder of Atteris Pty Ltd., and was its General Manager between 1999 and 2018. Atteris is an engineering and design consultancy for subsea, pipeline and sustainable energy systems, based in Perth, Australia.
​
Eric is a civil engineer with more than 30 years’ experience in the pipeline industry, both offshore as well as onshore. His experience covers Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe and North America. Eric is the chair of the Australian standard AS 2885 Part 4 Subcommittee and is actively involved with the Australian Pipelines & Gas Association (APGA), Energy Pipelines CRC, the Society of Underwater Technology (SUT) , and is also a guest lecturer for the University of Western Australia.
​
Patrick Vieth
​
​
Patrick Vieth is Senior Vice President of Dynamic Risk, USA, leading the Dynamic Risk USA operations headquartered in The Woodlands (Houston), USA. He provides leadership, technical support and regulatory expertise in the evolving needs for pipeline risk management. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University and is actively involved in ASME (B31.4 and the Pipeline Systems Division). He is an ASME Fellow.
​
Patrick has 30 years of experience solving problems related to materials, corrosion, fitness for service, and reliability with primary focus on the production, transportation and distribution pipeline network.
Tom Miesner
​
​
​
Tom Miesner of Pipeline Knowledge LLC, USA, has a deep midstream background as an operator, executive, business consultant, and board member. The first twenty five years of Tom's career were spent at Conoco, including serving as president of Conoco Pipe Line Company for seven years. Tom retired from ConocoPhillips to found a midstream consulting company – Pipeline Knowledge & Development – in 2004.
Tom has presented on a variety of topics at industry conferences, and his first book, ‘Oil and Gas Pipelines in Non-Technical Language’, was released by Pennwell Publishing in March of 2006.
Tom's most recent book, ‘Natural Gas Local Distribution Lines in Nontechnical Language’ was published in 2016.
​
Fabian Sanchez
​
​
Fabián Sánchez has a history of more than 18 years of service at NACE International, becoming the Director for Latin America for the period 2013-2016. He is also the Director of the technical committee of SLOM (Latin American Society of Operators for Mono-buoys and Oil Marine Terminals).
​
Fabián has more than 30 years of career starting in corrosion control, continuing in Integrity Management of facilities and projects development, since 2002, he was the Engineering manager at OCP Ecuador for 18 years.
He has presented several works in different international forums such as NACE International, SLOM, Río Pipeline, ARPEL, Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Conferences, etc.
He has taught several courses and workshops on corrosion control, integrity management and strategic planning to members of SLOM and NACE in Latin America
Founding members of the QPPI
​
Alan Murray, Roger King, John Tiratsoo, and Andrew Palmer were all amongst the founding members of the QPPI, and served for three years before retiring from the Panel.
​
We also acknowledge support from various pipeline experts who have been involved with the development of the qualifications: Mike Rosenfeld, Mark Stevens, Konrad Reber, Michael Beller, and Leanne Smith.