July 2015

Summer/Fall Conference Schedule

July – September 2015 Have you registered and confirmed your reservations for these upcoming conferences? RCP will be attending. We hope to see you there! LGA Pipeline Safety ConferenceJuly 20 – 24, 2015Royal Sonesta / New Orleans, LA SGA Operating Conference & ExhibitsJuly 20 –22, 2015OMNI Hotels & Resorts / Nashville, TN Power-Gen Natural Gas…

P&GJ Pipeline Integrity Issue

Vol. No. 242 Number 6 June 2015 Need a summer reading suggestion? The Pipeline & Gas Journal Pipeline, Integrity Issue should be landing in your mailbox any day. Or, you can check it out online. Make sure to turn to page 51 and read “Changes to PHMSA Rules Affect Wide Range of Inspections, Reports” by…

Jurisdictional Determination

Is there uncertainty as to whether a pipeline meets the applicability of 49 CFR 195 or 192? RCP can answer your questions regarding the jurisdictional status related to pipelines that may be regulated by the Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (DOT/PHMSA). Click here to request more information on how RCP can…

API Publishes API 1173 Recommended Practice for Pipeline Safety Management Systems

On July 8, 2015, API published a new Recommended Practice (RP) concerning safety management systems for pipelines. API RP 1173 will provide pipeline operators a comprehensive way to make safe operations and continuous safety improvement a constant focus of their operations. Safety management systems provide a formal framework to monitor, measure and improve safety performance…

PHMSA Report to Congress: Review of Existing Federal and State Regulations for Gas and Hazardous Liquid Gathering Lines

On May 8, 2015, DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx sent a study on the Review of Existing Federal and State Regulations for Gas and Hazardous Liquid Gathering Lines to various chairpersons of committees in Congress. The cover letters state: “PHMSA is considering the need to propose additional regulations to ensure the safety of natural gas and…

Revised PHMSA OpID Assignment Request and Operator Registry Notification

Revised OpID Assignment Request and Operator Registry Notification forms and instructions are available on the PHMSA website and for online entry in the PHMSA Portal. The changes took place June 1st, 2015. Basic changes to the OpID assignment request include requiring cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses for operator contacts. Gas Distribution includes more categories…

Gas Distribution Annual Report Form

PHMSA F7100.1-1 (rev 5-2015) PHMSA posted an updated Gas Distribution Annual Report Form F7100.1-1 for the submission of calendar year 2015 data in 2016. Updates to the form include: addition of “Reconditioned Cast Iron” as a material specification for reporting pipeline mileage; operators can differentiate between historic cast iron mileage and mileage that has been…

Pressure Test WebEx

Join us on July 16 (Thursday) at 2 p.m. CST for a WebEx presentation on TestOp™, our new comprehensive pressure testing tool. TestOp™ is a proprietary web-based application that provides operators with a platform to plan, design, certify and document their pressure tests. For use on gas and liquid lines, with tests using water, nitrogen,…

PHMSA Advisory Bulletin ADB-2015-02: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Hurricanes

Hurricanes can adversely affect the operation of a pipeline and require corrective action under §192.613 and 195.401. Hurricanes also increase the risk of underwater pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico and its inlets becoming exposed or constituting a hazard to navigation under §192.612 and 195.413. The Gulf of Mexico is now in hurricane season, and…

PHMSA NPRM: OQ, Cost Recovery, Accident and Incident Notification, and Other Pipeline Safety Proposed Changes

[Docket No. PHMSA-2013-0163] The Department of Transportation/Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing amendments to the pipeline safety regulations to address Sections 9 and 13 of the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (2011 Act), and to update and clarify certain regulatory requirements.…

Save the Dates!

RCP Workshop Schedule for 2017 DOT Gas & Liquid Pipeline Workshop: March 21-23 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday) Fundamentals of Pipeline Operations Workshop: May 24-25 (Wednesday & Thursday) Pressure Test Workshop: June 20-21 (Tuesday & Wednesday) Visit our training website for updates, registration, and hotel information.