[Docket No. PHMSA-2018-0008]

PHMSA issued a notice and request for comments on the renewal of an information collection that requires owners and operators of gas pipelines to maintain records, make reports and provide information to the Secretary of Transportation at the Secretary’s request. The existing information collection expires April 30, 2018. Submit comments by April 13, 2018, via the E-Gov website. Identify the docket number, PHMSA–2018–0008, at the beginning of your comments. For a copy of PHMSA’s Notice, contact Jessica Foley.

Recently, the PHMSA website display of forms and instructions for operator reports has changed. There used to be 24 webpages – one for each form and one for each instruction. Now, there is one page with a zip file containing current and historical forms/instructions for all 12 reports. If you have a bookmark/favorite for any of the old 24 webpages, they will not work.

The new link is https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/forms/operator-reports-submitted-phmsa-forms-and-instructions.

Please share this information with anyone in your organization that may be interested.

[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.

There will be a public meeting of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC). The GPAC will meet to continue discussing topics and provisions for the proposed rule titled “Safety of Gas Transmission and Gathering Pipelines.” The committee will meet on:

• Monday, March 26, 2018, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 27, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and
• Wednesday, March 28, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

The meeting location, agenda and any additional information will be published on the pipeline advisory committee meeting and registration page. Members of the public who wish to participate are asked to register no later than March 16, 2018.

The Voluntary Information-sharing System (VIS) working group will convene to discuss and identify recommendations to establish a voluntary information-sharing system. The meeting will be held on April 5, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Registration and meeting information can be found on the VIS website. Members of the public who wish to attend in person should register no later than March 30, 2018.