Dr. Phil Hopkins has over 35 years' experience in pipeline engineering, and is an independent consultant based in Newcastle, UK. Prior to establishing his consultancy, Phil was Technical Director with the engineering company Penspen Ltd. and Managing Director of the pipeline engineering consultancy Andrew Palmer & Associates. 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 has served on many other professional committees, including the British Standards Institution, European Pipeline Research Group, the Pipeline Research Council International, and the DNV Pipeline Committee. More than 10,000 engineers and technical personnel around the world have attended his courses. He has also contributed extensively to master's programs at Newcastle and Northumbria universities in the UK.