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Mar 2009 - RULE §8.1(b) - Production Lines now under RRC of Texas Jurisdiction |
The Texas Railroad Commission has approved rules that will place natural gas production and flow lines in heavily populated areas under the state’s safety jurisdiction.
The rules, which become effective on March 2, will now require that production and flow lines in populated areas be operated and maintained according to state pipeline safety rules. These rules address several factors including design, construction, operating pressures and testing, emergency response and damage prevention.
| RULE §8.1(B)
Onshore pipeline and gathering and production facilities, beginning after the first point of measurement and ending as defined by 49 CFR Part 192 as the beginning of an onshore gathering line. The gathering and production beyond this first point of measurement shall be subject to 49 CFR Part 192.8 and shall be subject to the rules as defined as Type A or Type B gathering lines as those Class 2, 3, or 4 areas as defined by 49 CFR Part 192.5;
 View Entire Rule §8.1 - Pipeline Safety - General Applicability & Standards
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Feb 2009 - RULE §8.210(e) - Natural Gas Distribution Operators to Submit Leak Reports to RRC of Texas |
Effective February 4, 2009, natural gas distribution pipeline operators are to submit leak reports every six months to the Railroad Commission.
RULE §8.210(e) Leak Reporting
For purposes of this subsection, the term "leak" includes all underground leaks, all hazardous above ground leaks, and all non-hazardous above ground leaks that cannot be eliminated by lubrication, adjustment, or tightening. Each operator of a gas distribution system, of a regulated plastic gas gathering line, or of a plastic gas transmission line shall submit to the Division a list of all leaks repaired on its pipeline facilities. Each such operator shall list all leaks identified on all pipeline facilities. Each such operator shall also include the number of unrepaired leaks remaining on the operator's systems by leak grade. Each such operator shall submit leak reports using the Commission's online reporting system, Form PS-95, by July 15 and January 15 of each calendar year, in accordance with the PS-95 Semi-Annual Leak Report Electronic Filing Requirements, set out in the Figure in this subsection. The report submitted on July 15 shall include information from the previous January 1 through the previous June 30. The report submitted on January 15 shall include information from the previous July 1 through the previous December 31.
The report includes: (1) leak location; (2) facility type; (3) leak classification; (4) pipe size; (5) pipe type; (6) leak cause; and (7) leak repair method.
View Entire Rule §8.210 - Pipeline Safety - Reports |
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Summary of Texas Railroad Commission Rule Chapter 18 - Underground Pipeline Damage Prevention
Effective September 1, 2007 |
On May 30, 2007 the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) approved new regulations "Chapter 18 - Underground Pipeline Damage Prevention" relating to pipeline facilities under jurisdiction of the RRC Chapter 18 became effective on September 1,2007.
Following are highlights of Chapter 18 - this is not the complete rule! See the complete Chapter 18 for full information.
251 Plus Rule - Chapter 251 of the Texas Utilities Code remains in effect. If you were previously subject to it, you still must comply with its terms. The new Chapter 18, however, adds requirements, in addition to those in Ch. 251, for certain pipelines, excavators and others. Exemptions under Chapter 251 may not apply under Chapter 18.
16-Inch Rule - Applies to "movement of earth" - that is more than 16 inches deep and "in the vicinity of a pipeline" in Texas.
Ticket Life Rule -Ticket life for a notification is 14 working days unless otherwise agreed to in writing by excavator and operator.
Required Records Rule - Operators and excavators must maintain certain records for 4 years.
Positive Response Rule - Excavators must tell the notification center they wish to receive positive response. Methods can include: marks at the site, fax, phone email, pager or written correspondence. Operators must give positive response by method specified by excavator. Locators must attempt to notify an excavator of a customer-owned line.
Face-to-face meeting Rule - If a project is too large to white-line or is too expansive to describe on a locate request, the excavator and operator must meet face-to-face to establish; interval between notices to notification center (refresh); scope of each locate request: life of each locate; excavation schedule and when markings are to be made.
Specific Excavator Rules - Excavators must have a copy of a locate request available within an hour; must check for unmarked pipeline facilities; must make a second call to the notification center if: they received a "no-conflict" from an operator but know of the existence of a pipeline, have a clear evidence of presence of a pipeline but received a "no-conflict", have not received a positive response, or if the positive response is unclear or erroneous.
Markings - All markings of pipelines that are 6 inches wide or more must include the nominal diameter of the line in every other locate mark. Marks should go one mark beyond the locate request.
Tolerance Zone - The tolerance zone is 18 inches on either side of the pipe, plus half the diameter of the pipe. For example, a six-inch pipeline would have a tolerance zone of 21 inches on either side of the pipe. Excavators must dig with care in the tolerance zone.
Reporting Rules - Underground pipeline operators must report all pipeline damages by excavators to RRC within 10 days using Texas Damage Report Form (TDRF). Excavators must report via TDRF for: Damage to pipelines (must be reported through notification center within 2 hours); necessity to make "second notice"; no positive response by operator.
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Title 49: Transportation - Code of Federal Regulations