Uncategorized

Texas Railroad Commission – Increase in Service Line Fees / Reporting Dates

The Railroad Commission of Texas has proposed amendments to 16 TAC §8.201, relating to Pipeline Safety Program Fees, to implement provisions of House Bill 1, 80th Texas Legislature (2007), and, specifically, Article VI, Railroad Commission Rider 11, which makes the amounts appropriated from general revenue for State fiscal years 2008 and 2009 for the pipeline…

DOT/PHMSA Notice & Request for Comments on Transporting Ethanol

The Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (DOT/PHMSA) issued a notice in the Federal Register to set forth a formal determination (for purposes of 49 U.S.C. 60101(a)(4)(B)) that the transportation of unblended biofuels by pipeline is subject to the agency’s jurisdiction. DOT is prepared to facilitate pipeline options by sponsoring research and…

PHMSA Published Gas Gathering FAQ’s

PHMSA has posted several Frequently Asked Questions relating to Onshore Gas Gathering. Since the issuance of the new gas gathering regulations in 2006, PHMSA has hosted several industry workshops in an attempt to review the new gas gathering regulations and answer questions regarding its interpretation of API RP 80. The FAQ’s include several schematics that…

RCP’s Website

If you haven’t checked out our website recently, we encourage you to do so now. Same web address with a new look, easier to navigate, search capabilities and a client log-in feature. Visit us at www.your-rcp.com.

Rio Pipeline Conference / IPC

The Rio Pipeline Conference was held October 2-4, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with over 3,500 attendees, 120 exhibits, and 343 Technical Papers. The conference was sponsored by IBP, the Brazilian Petroleum, Gas, and Biofuels Institute. The Rio conference is held in alternating years with the International Pipeline Conference (IPC) in Calgary, AB, Canada. The…

Emergency Response and Preparedness – OSHA Request for Information [Docket No. H-010]

Editor’s note: although OSHA regulations are pre-empted for PHMSA regulated pipelines if PHMSA has an existing regulation, this potential rulemaking is still of interest to PHMSA regulated pipeline operators since it may reach into non-pre-empted areas, and since many PHSMA regulated pipeline operators also operate OSHA regulated facilities. Elements of emergency responder health and safety…

PHMSA Posts Hazardous Liquid IMP FAQ

PHMSA has revised FAQ # 12.5 which discusses how notifications related to hazardous liquid pipeline integrity management should be made. The text of the FAQ is listed below: 12.5 How can notifications be submitted?Operators can submit notifications via this web site. A password is required. Operators who require a password should send the name and…

Liquid Low Stress Pipelines – Information Request / Comment Period [Docket No. PHMSA-2003-15864]

Section 4 of the PIPES Act requires that PHMSA issue regulations by December 31, 2007, subjecting all low-stress hazardous liquid pipelines to the same standards and regulations as other hazardous liquid pipelines. PHMSA currently exempts low stress pipelines from regulations except for those in populated areas and crossing navigable waterways. On May 18, 2007, PHMSA…

Advisory Bulletin ADB-07-01: Updated Notification of the Susceptibility to Premature Brittle-Like Cracking of Older Plastic Pipe [Docket No. PHMSA-2004-19856]

PHMSA has issued an updated advisory bulletin to owners and operators of natural gas pipeline distribution systems concerning the susceptibility of older plastic pipe to premature brittle-like cracking. PHMSA previously issued three advisory bulletins on this subject: Two on March 11, 1999 and one on November 26, 2002. The current advisory bulletin expands on the…

Adequacy of Internal Corrosion Regulations for Hazardous Liquid Pipelines – Notice of availability of materials; request for comments. [Docket No. PHMSA-2007-28993]

The Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 directs PHMSA to review the internal corrosion regulations in subpart H of 49 CFR part 195 to determine if they are adequate to ensure adequate protection of the public and environment and to report to Congress on the results of the review. As an initial…

MMS Proposed OCS Rules – Revising 30 CFR Parts 250, 253, 254 and 256

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has proposed rulemaking to completely revise the MMS Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) pipeline and pipeline Rights-of-Way (ROW) regulations to bring them up to date with current industry practices and technology. The regulations were last revised in 1988. The proposed rule incorporates parts of several new and revised industry standards into…

RCP’s Website

If you haven’t checked out our website recently, we encourage you to do so now. Same web address with a new look, easier to navigate, search capabilities and a client log-in feature. Visit us at www.your-rcp.com.

API RP 1113 – New Recommended Practice on Control Centers

API has published the first edition of Recommended Practice 1113, “Developing a Pipeline Supervisory Control Center.” Previously issued as an informational publication, the document was reclassified as a “Recommended Practice” during this recent revision due to the importance of the information contained therein. The focus of the document is on the design aspects that may…