[Docket No. 171200767]
The Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) unanimously adopted new regulations covering flowlines and related oil and gas systems. The rules are intended to prevent a repeat of the April 2017 explosion that killed two people and destroyed a house in the town of Firestone, about 30 miles north of Denver. These regulations require compliance by May 1, 2018 for new pipelines and October 2019 for existing pipelines.
This comprehensive rulemaking sets requirements for registering, installing, testing and shutting down flow lines, which carry oil and gas from wells to nearby equipment. In addition, Operators are also required to become Tier One members of the Utility Notification Center of Colorado (UNCC) and participate in Colorado’s One Call notification system. In addition to new/amended definitions, reports and registration, there are 5 general areas of updated rulemaking:
- Registration
- Pipeline Standards (Rule 1102)
- Special Regulations for Valves (Rule 1103)
- Integrity Management (Rule 1104)
- Abandonment (Rule 1105)
Operators should be aware of regulation changes that could require previously exempt pipelines to comply with integrity management testing including annual pressure testing for off-location flowlines and pressure tested every 3 years for on location lines.
For a copy of COGCC’s Flowline regulations, contact Jessica Foley.