Pipeline Welder

Kinder Morgan•Casa Grande, AZ

About The Position

The Pipeline Welder coordinates and completes welding, construction, and maintenance tasks as part of a roving pipeline crew. The role performs fabrication, in-service, tie-in, and hot-tap welds on steel natural gas and products pipelines, including loaded lines, and supports pipeline construction, repair, inspection, testing, and maintenance activities. The work includes operating welding and excavation equipment, interpreting construction documents, planning and tracking project work, and maintaining safe operations on company assets and facilities. This position normally works outdoors in a pipeline construction environment, including adverse weather and extreme temperatures, and may involve confined spaces, uneven ground, ladders, catwalks, staging, platforms, slopes, and ditches. The typical schedule is Monday through Thursday, 10 hours per day, with likely overtime. Construction schedules may involve 10–12 hour days and six or seven days per week. The role requires significant overnight travel, upwards of 70% or more, and may require work outside normal hours, schedule changes, and emergency callouts. The employee must live or relocate to within 60 miles of the reporting location by the start date. This is a safety-sensitive position subject to pre- and post-employment screening, including drug testing and motor vehicle record checks.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Intermediate or above welding skill level.
At least 2 years of relatable experience.
Ability to read blueprints and other construction documentation.
Ability to use various power and hand tools.
Good verbal and written communication skills.
Competency in math.
Ability to interact effectively with others and work in a team environment.
Resourcefulness, organization, dependability, efficiency, and attention to detail.
Flexibility and ability to adapt quickly to change.
Must have and maintain a driver's license and a driving record satisfactory to the company and its insurers.
Must be able to obtain and maintain DOT operational qualifications for working and welding on natural gas and products pipelines.
Must pass the API 1104 Multiple Qualification Test and API 1104 Appendix B In Service Low Hydrogen Welding Test within 60 days of hire, and the API 1104 Low Hydrogen Multiple Qualification Welding Test within 180 days of hire; all three tests require annual requalification.
Must use required PPE, including proper flame-resistant protective clothing and task-appropriate equipment.
Must be able to travel overnight upwards of 70% or more.
Must live or relocate to within 60 miles of the reporting location by the position start date.
Must meet safety-sensitive screening requirements, including applicable DOT and PHMSA drug testing and FMCSA/DOT Clearinghouse motor vehicle record checks.
Must have manual dexterity and the ability to lift, pull, push, and carry up to 50 pounds and exert up to 100 pounds of physical force.
Must frequently stand, walk, stoop, bend, crawl, kneel, grasp, squat, reach, and climb; may need to twist the head and back.
Must be able to work in confined spaces, climb and work from ladders, catwalks, staging, and platforms, ascend and descend slopes and ditches, and work with hands above the head or while lying on the back.
Must have an acute sense of sight and hearing, corrected or uncorrected, and a strong sense of smell.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree in job-related technical training.
Pipeline welding experience.
Knowledge and experience in safe handling practices for flammable gases and high-pressure systems.
Valid commercial driver’s license (CDL).

Responsibilities

Coordinate and complete welding, construction, and maintenance tasks as part of a roving pipeline crew.
Perform pipe fabrication, in-service, tie-in, and hot-tap welds on steel natural gas and products pipelines, including frequently working on loaded lines and pipe up to 42 inches outside diameter.
Mobilize, operate, and maintain heavy excavation equipment, including excavation on in-service natural gas pipelines.
Read and interpret engineering construction blueprints.
Scope, plan, estimate, track costs, and schedule project work and resources.
Operate trucks, welding rigs, and trailers to haul equipment or project materials to job sites.
Assist Pipeline Specialists with field checks before excavation.
Locate and mark pipelines using pipeline locating equipment or probe rods, with drawings and alignment sheets as references.
Inspect and remove coating, prepare surfaces for coating application on buried pipe, and calibrate and maintain a holiday detector for coating inspection.
Perform ultrasonic thickness examinations.
Perform hot-tap installations on in-service pipelines.
Review pressure test plans against pipe and material specifications and perform pressure tests of pipelines and fabrications.
Disassemble meter tubes and perform internal meter tube cleaning.
Repair pig launcher and receiver equipment and closures, and install pig signals.
Repair shorted pipeline casings and install cathodic protection test points on pipelines.
Evacuate, purge, and load pipelines; operate pipeline air-movers to evacuate gas lines during hot work.
Install full encirclement sleeves for anomaly repairs.
Install mainline valve settings, valves, and fittings.
Modify existing measurement facilities and install new ones.
Promote and embody Kinder Morgan core values.
Maintain a high regard for personal safety and the safety of company assets, employees, and the public.
Identify, report, and correct safety and environmental concerns.
May perform excavation spotter tasks and manage excavation at foreign pipeline crossings.
May perform excavations on loaded and unloaded pipelines.
May launch, monitor, and receive pipeline pigs.
May conduct internal pipeline cleaning or pigging using internal pipe-cleaning equipment.
May remove existing pipelines and install replacement pipelines.
May direct subcontract workers performing work on company assets and facilities.
Complete other related duties as assigned.