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In This Issue

  1. Updated OQ Enforcement Guidance
  2. Need to Update Your Current Operator Qualification Program?
  3. RP 1172 Construction Parallel to Existing Underground Transmission Pipelines – FINAL
  4. Draft Pipeline Safety Management System Recommended Practice, API 1173, Available for API and ANSI Approval Ballot and Public Comment
  5. Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission – Risk-Based Inspections
  6. Pending Audits?
  7. Texas Proposed Change to Farm Tap Odorization Requirements
  8. State Damage Prevention Activities
  9. RCP’s Web-Based Compliance Management Systems
  10. DIMP Integration
  11. Key Features
  12. RCP in the News / Pipeline & Gas Journal June 2014 edition
  13. RCP Employee Receives ASME Old Guard Early Career Engineer Award
  14. Public Workshop on Managing Pipeline Cracking Challenges
  15. Pipeline Safety: Government/Industry Pipeline R&D Forum
  16. Summer / Fall Conference Schedule
  17. New RCP Pipeline Pressure Testing Workshop August 26 & 27
  18. DOT Pipeline Compliance Workshop – August 5 – 7, 2014
  19. API Damage Prevention Webinar – Save the Date!
  20. Send us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses of Pipeline Samples, yearning to breathe free.

Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission – Risk-Based Inspections

The Colorado State Legislature has directed the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to develop and use a risk-based strategy when inspecting oil and gas operations, including pipelines. This risk-based approach will prioritize the phases of oil and gas operations by the likelihood of spills, excess emissions and other types of violations. Those with high priority of having an issue are more likely to get inspected by the COGCC. In order to prioritize production facilities for audits and inspections, COGCC is developing a risk based model that will be tested and modified throughout 2014. The model should be fully implemented in FY 2015-2016.

The auditing and inspection process will consider how Operators comply with pipeline regulations found in COGCC Pipeline Rule 1101. This rule provides requirements governing the following:

  • Installation including the materials that may be used; the design of each component; the amount of cover required; excavation, backfill and reclamation; and pressure testing.
  • Operations, maintenance, and repair including:
    • taking reasonable precautions to prevent failures, leakage, and corrosion;
    • correcting within a reasonable time any condition found that could adversely affect safe and proper operation;
    • ensuring repairs are made in a safe manner to prevent injury to people and damage to property;
    • ensuring pipe and components used in repairs meet the installation requirements;
    • ensuring pipelines are properly marked;
    • participating in One Call programs;
    • preparing and submitting an Emergency Response plan for gathering lines with segments subject to safety regulation by the Office of Pipeline Safety, U.S. Department of Transportation to the Commission, the county sheriff and each local government jurisdiction traversed by the pipeline.
  • Abandonment.