New PHMSA Regulations Impacting Over 400,000 Miles of Gas Gathering Pipelines
On November 2, 2021 the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued the final rule to address Congressional mandates, Government Accountability Office recommendations and public input received, as part of the rulemaking process. The amendments in this final rule extend reporting requirements to all gas gathering operators and apply a set of minimum safety requirements to certain gas gathering pipelines with large diameters and high operating pressures. The rule does not affect offshore gas gathering pipelines.
Key elements of the final rule include:
- Reporting requirements for all gas gathering lines
- Addition of Type C lines and Type R for reporting
- Expands incident reporting
- Re-definition of “incidental gathering” from API RP 80
- Each operator must determine and maintain for the life of the pipeline records documenting the methodology by which it calculated the beginning and end points of each onshore gathering pipeline it operates
- Additional O&M requirements
The final rule is effective May 2, 2022 and operators will have six months after the effective date of May 2, 2022 to assess their lines and update requirements to start reporting all newly assessed gathering lines by March 15, 2023. Existing lines that now fall under a “Type C” line have 1 year to comply with the new rule.
“After years in development, these new regulations represent a major step to enhance and modernize pipeline safety and environment standards” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This rule will improve safety, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and result in more jobs for pipeline workers that are needed to help upgrade the safety and operations of these lines.”
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