March 2014 Issue
In This Issue
- PHMSA Updates DIMP Enforcement Guidance
- PHMSA Advisory Committee Meetings
- NPMS Data Submission
- RCP Receives 3 Patents for MAOP Software
- Safety Management Systems Meeting
- ASME Training Week – Denver April 14 – 18
- RCP Integrity Services www.rcpIS.com
- Spring Conference Schedule March – May 2014
- Join RCP’s MS150 Team from Houston to Austin April 12 – 13
PHMSA Updates DIMP Enforcement Guidance
The Department of Transportation/Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) updated its Gas Distribution Pipeline Integrity Management Enforcement Guidance for 49 CFR Subpart P. The document is intended for internal use by the PHMSA pipeline safety enforcement staff – but is also available to the public and pipeline operators. This guidance document describes the practices used by PHMSA pipeline safety investigators and other enforcement personnel in undertaking their compliance, inspection, and enforcement activities. For each section of the rule, the guidance document gives:
- The rule language and citations
- Interpretation Summaries
- Advisory Bulletin/Alert Notice Summaries
- Other Reference Material & Source
- Guidance Information
- Examples of a Probable Violation or Inadequate Procedures
- Examples of Evidence
- Other Special Notations
This DIMP guidance document can be downloaded from the PHMSA website.
PHMSA Advisory Committee Meetings
As mentioned in our last newsletter, PHMSA held a day and a half of joint gas and liquid advisory committee meetings in the DC area on February 25-26. Only one official vote was taken, regarding the use of re-worked materials for plastic gas piping. The committee was unanimous that they did not support this option for regulated gas pipelines. Other presentations were made concerning class locations for gas pipelines, PHMSA and OSHA jurisdictional issues for midstream pipeline facilities, and the current priorities for PHMSA, State Regulators, the public, and gas and liquid pipeline operators. PHMSA wrapped up the meeting with an update on congressional mandates, NTSB, OIG, and GAO recommendations, and a review of their regulatory agenda. The meeting presentations can be downloaded here.
NPMS Data Submission
As
a reminder, gas transmission operators are requested to submit their NPMS data
(or notification of no changes) by March 15, 2014. The data should reflect
assets as of 12/31/13. Hazardous liquid operators are requested to submit their
NPMS data (or notification of no changes) by June 15, 2014. The data should
reflect assets as of 12/31/13.
The NPMS staff has prepared an Operator Submission Guide to assist you in
preparing your NPMS submission this year. Click here for a copy of the guide; or by
clicking the NPMS Operator Submission Guide link on the left-hand side of https://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov.
RCP Receives 3 Patents for MAOP Software
RCP
has received 3 patents (#8,548,756; #8,548,757; and #8,548,758) for our
industry-leading MaxOp* software. RCP is the unquestioned market leader
providing MAOP Validation Services, including over 100,000 miles of gas and
liquid pipeline analysis and support. Not only does RCP bring a wealth of
experienced professional engineers and support staff, we have brought the most
comprehensive and complete MAOP validation tool to the market, MaxOp*.
MaxOp* Features:
- NEW Section Q & R, Gas Transmission Annual Report: output MAOP reports compliant with PHMSA requirements
- Data agnostic: works with all common database and GIS data formats
- Traceable: connects data to source document image files
- Verifiable: identifies exact 192/195 code sections driving MAOP results
MAOP Validation Services:
- Turnkey: document review & imaging, data extraction, gap analysis, MAOP reporting
- Quality Assurance: review existing validation efforts, compare calculations using MaxOp*
- Annual Report: Import data to MaxOp*, export Section Q & R report
- Remediation: develop strategies to close gaps and/or re-establish MAOP
For more information about RCP’s MAOP validation services or the MaxOp* calculator tool, please contact Jessica Roger. * MaxOp is a registered trademark of RCP, Inc., in the United States.
Safety Management Systems Meeting
PHMSA
hosted a workshop on the pending API Recommended Practice 1173 on Pipeline
Safety Management System Requirements. The agenda and presentations from the
workshop are available here. The draft document can be accessed here.
Public comments on the draft will be accepted until April 11, 2014. Comments
must be submitted online at http://ballots.api.org/login.aspx. The ballot
ID number is 3178 and no Login ID is required – leave the field blank. After
clicking submit, the API legal disclaimer will open and must be accepted to
proceed. After completing your contact information (this is required in case
the development group needs to contact you about your comments) the actual page
to enter comments appears.
ASME Training Week – Denver April 14 – 18
Check out the pipeline training programs offered by ASME in Denver the week of April 14-18, 2014. Subject Matter Experts from RCP will provide training on the first day regarding pipeline pressure testing. Other courses are offered on ASME B31.4 (liquid transmission) and ASME B31.8 (gas transmission), as well as Composite Repairs, Defect Assessment, Inline Inspection, Integrity Management, and Onshore Design and Construction. Additional information can be found on the ASME website.
RCP Integrity Services www.rcpIS.com
Looking
for more pipeline integrity and corrosion control services? Check out the new
website for RCP Integrity Services at www.rcpIS.com.
We have a new look that is also mobile friendly.
RCP Integrity Services (RCPIS) supports RCP’s pipeline integrity and corrosion
control services including Operational Reliability Assessments and Integrity
Management Programs. RCP Integrity Services, along with RCP Inc., comprise the
perfect team to support all of your pipeline integrity requirements.
Spring Conference Schedule March – May 2014
Have
you registered and confirmed your reservations for these upcoming conferences?
RCP and RCP Integrity Services will be attending. We hope to see you there!
NACE Corrosion 2014 Conference & Expo
March 9-13, 2014
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center; San Antonio, Texas
RCP Integrity Services is a proud sponsor of Corrosion 2014. Click on the interactive map to find us at Booth #1603 and
register to win a free Yeti – the extreme cooler!
AGA Transmission Pipeline Workshop
March 18 – 19, 2014
OMNI Royal Orleans Hotel; New Orleans, LA
This workshop will feature presentations and case studies from pipeline
operators and service providers on actions being taken to proactively address
provisions in the 2011 Pipeline Safety Reauthorization. RCP’s Executive
Consultant, Mr. Larry Decker will be giving a presentation on “Producing and
documenting a quality pipeline pressure test report.” There will also be
regulatory updates provided on the status of federal rule makings. Regulators,
pipeline operators, and service providers are all invited to participate in
this forum.
API Pipeline Conference and Cybernetics Symposium
April 8 – 10, 2014
Hyatt Regency Hill Country, San Antonio, Texas
This conference includes presentations on Safety Management, Aboveground
Facility/Integrity, Effective Internal and External Communication, Alternative
Forms of Transportation, Emergency Response, Control Room Management, Corporate
Security and a host of other timely subjects.
AGA Operations Conference 2014
May 20 -23, 2014
Omni William Penn, Pittsburgh, PA
The annual AGA Operations Conference is the natural gas industry’s premier
gathering of natural gas utility and transmission company operations management
from across North America and the world for the sharing of technical knowledge,
ideas and practices to promote the safe, reliable, and cost-effective delivery
of natural gas to the end-user.
Join RCP’s MS150 Team from Houston to Austin April 12 – 13
RCP hosts a small but enthusiastic team of riders in MS150 bike rides, including the upcoming BP MS150 on April 12-13 from Houston to Austin. Your humble newsletter editor is happy to suffer a bit for a good cause, but he has his limits. The RCP team rents a ranch outside LaGrange for the overnight stop on Saturday. Soft beds. Hot showers. Home cooked food. If you are interested. you can join our merry band here.
W. R. (Bill) Byrd, PE
President
RCP Inc.