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  1. Who is RCP?
  2. Final NPDES Exemption for Oil and Gas Exploration, Production, Processing, or Treatment Operations or Transmission Facilities
  3. New Offshore Discharge Reporting Form
  4. Texas Pipeline Integrity Management – Proposed Revisions
  5. Will your SPCC Plan pass an EPA inspection based on the new SPCC Inspectors’ Guidance document?
  6. Updates to Standards “Incorporated by Reference”
  7. Public Awareness Plans
  8. Gas Integrity Management – 7 year Re-assessment FAQs
  9. Reporting of Damage to Natural Gas Pipeline Facilities to FERC
  10. FERC Policy Statement on Natural Gas Interchangeability
  11. Minerals Management Service Seeks Comments
  12. Need to Update Your Current Operator Qualification Program?
  13. MMS Proposed Changes to ROW Pipeline Requirements

Reporting of Damage to Natural Gas Pipeline Facilities to FERC

Docket No. RM06-18-000

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is proposing to amend section 260.9 of its regulations in 18 CFR Part 260. Currently, section 260.9 requires that a natural gas company submit a report only when it experiences a serious service interruption involving facilities operated under certificate authority granted by FERC under the Natural Gas Act (Act). However, in situations where natural gas pipeline facilities are damaged, service interruptions can sometimes be avoided by rerouting gas supplies through other facilities or by means of other delivery arrangements. In these situations, section 260.9 does not presently require that companies report the damage to their pipeline facilities.

companies to undertake necessary construction activities in crisis situations. However, FERC’s current reporting requirements are not adequate to permit a reliable “snapshot” of the natural gas infrastructure at any given time. This inadequacy can be addressed by amending section 260.9 to require that jurisdictional companies report any damage to facilities that limits service through those facilities, regardless whether service can be maintained by rerouting gas supplies through other facilities or by other means.

FERC proposes to add a requirement that jurisdictional natural gas pipelines report (1) damage to pipeline facilities that results in loss of or reduction in service through such facilities, and (2) when service through such facilities has been restored. The Commission also proposes to amend sections 260.9(b) and (e) to eliminate references to reporting by telegraph and to require reporting by e-mail or, as currently provided, by facsimile. The Commission further proposes to amend section 260.9(d) to change, from 20 to 30 days, the time by which a company must file with the Commission a copy of any incident report required by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

For further information contact:

Berne Mosley
Office of Energy Projects
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
berne.mosley@ferc.gov
(202) 502-8625.